Mark Robinson “really pleased” with Jack Rudoni – but wants the midfielder to keep standards high

AFC Wimbledon head coach Mark Robinson wants Jack Rudoni to keep producing performances akin to the one the 20-year-old displayed at Plough Lane on Saturday, scoring a double to help the Dons to their second league win of the season.

Rudoni’s first came via a header at the back post, stooping low to turn home Will Nightingale’s ball back into the sea of bodies inside the Oxford penalty area. He doubled his goal tally and wrapped up all three points when he swept a shot from the edge of the area past Jack Stevens and into the far left-hand corner.

 Rudoni, who hasn’t started for the South Londoners since the 3-3- draw with Bolton Wanderers, scored the equaliser against Ipswich Town last time out and was rewarded with a place in the first 11 against Oxford United on Saturday.

 “I don’t really leave them out of the team for reactions,” said Mark Robinson when asked if that was the response he was looking for from Rudoni after being placed on the bench in the two previous fixtures.

 He added: “I leave them out of the team because I pick a team that I think is going to win the game, and I pick a team because maybe they’re not doing things that they need to do. It’s not a punishment; it’s just part of their learning process.

 “I am really pleased with his performance, but he has got to make sure that’s him now. Not everything is going to be perfect, but in terms of what he did on and off the ball, that needs to be Jack Rudoni now.”

 Despite trailing at half time, the second half performance saw the Dons fightback from a goal down to suffocate Oxford and record their first victory of the season in front of the returning Plough Lane faithful.

 “I just think it was a really good performance, and it clicked,” said Robinson. “There have been other games where we haven’t, and we talked to the lads, our attacking midfielders, about that area of the pitch because it hasn’t really clicked yet, and in this game it did. Not all the time, because it broke down too often, but it did click a little bit more, and we put together some exciting moves.”