Mark Robinson happy to take a point as fans return to Plough Lane

Posted Sunday, August 15, 2021 by PA

Emotions played their part for manager Mark Robinson as AFC Wimbledon fans marked their Plough Lane return with a thrilling 3-3 draw with Bolton.

Eoin Doyle’s penalty followed by Josh Sheehan and Oladapo Afolayan goals had appeared to give Wanderers all three points following Will Nightingale’s opener.

But Aaron Pressley and Dapo Mebude struck a quick-fire second-half double to rescue a point for the Dons’ homecoming celebrations.

Robinson said of a full complement of fans being back at the ground after three decades: “It was emotional. I’m not going to make excuses for the players, I promised myself I wasn’t going to get emotional and it’s tough, it’s really tough to keep the emotions in check and I thought we looked nervous, even before we got the goal.

“It’s a great occasion, but in many ways I’m glad it’s happened now and I think the players will be better for that.

“I think you’ve probably got to say yes, it was a point gained.

“Not after going 1-0 up, but then when you look how the game’s transpired and at 3-1, you’ve got to say it probably does feel like a point gained if I’m honest.

“We weren’t great, there were some moments, but off the ball we were nowhere near where we need to be.

“I think it’s a big learning curve for us, we probably needed it in some ways.

“Today we never looked comfortable, so I think we’ll be all the better for it in some ways.”

Nightingale nodded in Anthony Hartigan’s cross for the opener but Bolton responded when Doyle converted a penalty following a foul by goalkeeper Nik Tzanev on Afolayan.

Doyle then turned provider for Sheehan before Afolayan tapped home for 3-1 after the break.

But two goals in two minutes, first from Pressley from the spot and then Mebude’s curling finish, left Bolton manager Ian Evatt underwhelmed.

“We were trying to manage the game by controlling possession and we were comfortable at 3-1,” he said.

“Then Declan [John] carries an injury and tries to stay on, playing through the injury, and then doesn’t track his runner and they score at 3-2 and it gives them a huge lift.

“But then for five minutes we’d mentally gone, it affected us and that can’t happen.

“People moaned at me about 1-0 victories last year, now they’re moaning about epic games.

“For now, there’s a long, long way to go but I think we’re a really good team.

“We have to, in the face of adversity, learn our lessons and how we learn from those and that adversity will define who we are as a team.

“For now, it’s going to hurt and it’s silent in there – they’re devastated – but for large parts of that game we’ve done a lot things right, so keep positive.”