“Not a good size – but a good footballer” – Dons boss delighted as academy product has instant impact on first-team stage

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Ayoub Assal took his opportunity to impress on Tuesday night – backing up AFC Wimbledon head coach Mark Robinson’s faith in the teenager.

The 19-year-old midfielder had only been on the pitch for 13 minutes when he finished from close range to make it 1-1 at Shrewsbury Town.

Assal joined the Dons academy at the age of 12 after leaving Millwall. He has previously been called up to an international training camp with Morocco U20s.

Robinson said: “Not a good size, not a good frame – but a good footballer. I’m really pleased for him and I’m really pleased I had it in me to put him on – when they are young and you’re down the bottom fighting a relegation.

“I believe in the lad. I’m not saying he is going to feature every week but I’ve got a big belief in him. Apart from the goal he was excellent, he ran off the back of people.

“It’s lucky the academy believed in him because he has got a very bright future. It wasn’t just his goal – he made things happen. He linked things up.

“I’m not saying he is going to turn our season. We’ll dip him in and out, see how he goes.

“It’s a great night for him. But he was also the one picking the ball out of the net and running it back to the halfway line because he wanted to go and get a winner. That’s the sort of character I talk about [wanting].”

 

The draw leaves Wimbledon in the final relegation spot but they are only a point behind Bristol Rovers with a fixture in hand.

Next up tomorrow is a long trip to Blackpool.

Robinson was not totally happy with the Dons’ display at Shrewsbury, who had taken nine points from a possible 12 on home turf going into the contest.

“There were elements I was pleased with but in the second half we could’ve taken the game by the scruff of the neck,” said the Dons chief. “We didn’t do enough to do that. The subs lifted it a little bit. I said: ‘If we’re going to ever lose a football match, let’s do it on the front foot – taking it to them’. Some of the decision-making wasn’t good enough. First half we got into some good areas and the final pass isn’t good enough.

“I want them [the players] having more football discussions, because we haven’t got the time on the pitch. We’re lucky if we get one day a week with the schedule we’ve got.

 

“They’ve got to have more football conversations within their unit to work out how they are going to be more of a threat. We can’t rely on Joe [Pigott] week in and week out – we’ve got to score more goals.”

Harry Chapman put the Shrews in front on 35 minutes – whipping a right-footed effort across Sam Walker after a short corner was worked to the edge of the penalty area.

“Andy [Parslow, coach] has gone through our set-pieces and we didn’t send enough people out at the right time,” said Robinson. “It’s a great finish – but we haven’t got enough pressure on the ball.

“Andy has come to me and he’s fuming. He’s said: ‘I know I’ve told them’. This is what I’m talking about – you’ve got to live it and breathe it. If you have those conversations the goal doesn’t happen.

“They only had one header apart from that.”

Striker Ollie Palmer, who had been out with a hip problem, boosted his match fitness with a runout in Tuesday’s development squad match at Eastbourne Borough.

PHOTOS: SEAN GOSLING