Dons boss Mark Robinson looking to spread goals around team next season after Joe Pigott’s exit

Mark Robinson has admitted it will be impossible for AFC Wimbledon to find a like-for-like replacement for Joe Pigott.

The striker confirmed earlier this summer that he was leaving the Dons once his contract expired on July 1. The 27-year-old scored 22 goals in 52 matches last season.

“It’s difficult because you’re not going to sign someone who has scored 20 goals in League One,” said the Wimbledon chief. “No disrespect, but they are not joining us – they are going somewhere else if they have scored 20 goals in League One.

“So you are either looking at a loan with potential or taking someone from the lower leagues who has scored goals and you’re hoping they can transfer that to a higher level.

“The way I look at it is that you set yourself a target of the number of goals you need to score to have a good season, as long as you are tight defensively. So it is a lot safer to be thinking if you can add more goals all over the pitch.

“If you score more goals all over the pitch and one of the forwards ends up scoring more than you hoped it is a bonus.

“It’s important what they can bring and their all-round quality because if they fall short on goals then can help elsewhere in terms of us still hitting our goal target.

“It also means that if you lose a forward then it is not such a big thing, whereas if we had lost Joe at any point last season it would have been a major problem.”