Luke Williams accepts blame for Notts County defeat

Posted Sunday, November 26, 2023 by PA

Notts County boss Luke Williams took the blame as his side slipped to a 4-2 defeat at AFC Wimbledon.

The Magpies clawed their way back to parity having gone two goals down at the Cherry Red Records Stadium only to concede twice late on.

Macaulay Langstaff and Aaron Nemane had brought Notts County level before Jake Reeves and Ali Al-Hamadi both completed their braces as the Dons moved within touching distance of the play-offs.

“Every time Wimbledon counter-attacked us we had problems because we were slow to react and then we were not tough enough,” Williams said.

“And then when we looked like we were about to make a good action, we fluffed our lines.”

“Maybe I should have changed [at 2-2] to make us more defensive so that we could take a point with us, but I probably got that one wrong.

“I probably trusted them too much that they were going to win the game.

“In hindsight, I wish I’d probably changed to a more defensive formation and tried to get a message to the players to stop attacking so much.”

Reeves had put the Dons ahead from the spot just before the half-hour mark before Al-Hamadi rounded Sam Slocombe in the Notts County goal to double the hosts’ lead.

The Magpies were a different side after half-time though as Langstaff finished clinically and with 67 minutes gone, Williams’ side drew level as Nemane was left in space to fire home from a corner.

Reeves’ second goal again came from the spot, blasting the Dons back into the lead in the 86th minute before Al-Hamadi sprinted clear on the break to sew up the three points in injury time.

While Williams was hesitant to make changes, Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson adapted his side’s approach and penalty taker, with both paying dividends.

Jackson said: “I thought it was a great game of football, a great spectacle for the league. Both teams were going at it, trying to win, trying to attack.

“They’re a good side and we changed the way we play in respect of that. I feel like if you get your shape wrong against them then they can really hurt you.

“But we went about it a different way and it worked perfectly in that first half, we scored two and probably should have been double that.

“Reeves hasn’t been our penalty taker, but everyone else keeps missing them!

“I had a chat with him yesterday and obviously he’s the captain, he’s the calm head in the group, he’s the experience in the group and technically he’s good.

“The question might be ‘Why didn’t he take them before?’ but obviously you want your strikers taking penalties and it hasn’t worked out.”