Johnnie Jackson: AFC Wimbledon keep League Two season alive with Salford win

BY CONOR KEENAN

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson praised his side for “keeping our season alive” after a 1-0 home win over Salford City.

Omar Bugiel’s header, created by Kofi Balmer’s deadly long throw midway through the second half, was the only goal of a scrappy game in which blustery conditions played their part.

“It was not a classic by any means, it was a scrappy game played in difficult conditions,” Jackson said.

“We’ve played well and not got what we deserved a lot of times this season in a number of really tight games, not saying we didn’t deserve what we got today but it certainly wasn’t vintage, but at this stage who cares?

“We found a way to win today, that’s what good teams do. We have to ‘find a way’ three more times and see where that takes us. That might not be enough in the end, but it puts us really close, so we’ll have to hold up our end of the bargain and see where it takes us.”

The win keeps the Dons one place outside of the playoff positions, three points behind Crawley Town who have played two games less.

Crawley’s 4-1 win away to Mansfield did nothing to help Wimbledon, but Jackson is determined for his side to fight until the very end.

“Our goal today was to win and keep our season alive and we’ve done that.

“We knew that if we didn’t win today, then it was curtains for our playoff push. If we keep winning in our final three games, I think we give ourselves a chance. That’s our goal.

“I said to the lads before the game that we haven’t come this far to let it fizzle out now, and they stepped up to that.