Dons caretaker boss wanted his side to time-waste late free-kick…but Terell Thomas headed home to seal maximum points

BY JOSHUA MINCHIN

Glyn Hodges admitted that he wanted AFC Wimbledon to run down the clock when they were awarded a late free-kick – but instead Terell Thomas headed home a dramatic late winner against Portsmouth.

The Dons spent most of the League One match defending but the centre-back’s goal meant they took maximum points from Saturday’s encounter.

Hodges said: “The free-kick at the end – I was saying take it in the corner and wind the clock down. But we’ve got the quality in the team. Max Sanders put the ball in and Terell Thomas finishes it.

“We’ve always been in games and it’s always been close.

“Look at the defeats – it’s always been by the odd goal. Maybe the chances just weren’t being taken. Today we had two one-on-ones and I thought it was going to be one of those days again.

“But winning’s a habit and losing’s a habit – we want to get in the habit of winning again. We weren’t at our best today and we still got the result, that’s the most pleasing thing.

“We just seemed to hang in there. We had the attitude to stay in the game and you’ve always got a chance at 0-0”

When asked to describe the delirious scenes at the end following Terell Thomas’ late winner, Hodges said: “I was quite calm.

“All the subs were in there – I can’t run that far anymore!”

PICTURE BY CLAIRE JEFFREY