Experienced former Millwall man had chat with Dons matchwinner over dip in performance levels

BY MAX HALL

AFC Wimbledon midfielder Liam Trotter revealed he spoke to team-mate Mitch Pinnock about easing off in his performance levels after a bright start to his Dons career.

Pinnock was comfortably Wimbledon’s best player in Saturday’s 2-1 win at home to Southend, as Trotter acknowledged when he said: “He played brilliantly today Mitch, he’s an important player for us.”

The 23-year-old former Arsenal youth-teamer has spent most of his senior career in non-league football with the likes of East Thurrock, Bromley and Tonbridge Angels and made the step up to League One from Dover in the summer.

“He started this season really well,” said former Millwall man Trotter. “I think – and I’ve said to him myself – I think maybe he got a little bit too comfortable, got used to it and found himself outside the team, but he’s back into it now and he’s proving to everyone that he should be at this level, if not higher.”

The attacking midfielder, who started his senior career with two appearances for Southend, shone against his former club, trying to make inroads down the right and hurling long throw-ins from both flanks to provide his side’s best hope of a goal in the first half on Saturday.

Fittingly, it was Pinnock’s intended cross that deceived Shrimpers keeper Mark Oxley and dropped in for the winner.

“What we ask for is deliveries into good areas, and that was certainly that,” said Wimbledon caretaker-manager Simon Bassey of Pinnock’s moment of good fortune, adding: “Mitch is a talented boy.”