Johnnie Jackson delighted with AFC Wimbledon’s response in Morecambe victory

Posted Wednesday, October 23, 2024 by PA

Johnnie Jackson praised AFC Wimbledon’s response to their weekend defeat at Notts County as they eased their way to a 3-0 win against bottom club Morecambe.

James Tilley set Jackson’s side on course for victory in the 52nd minute before Omar Bugiel and Matty Stevens struck to secure the south-west London club’s fifth successive victory win.

The triumph leaves them just two points off the play-off places and Jackson was satisfied with his side’s display.

“It was important we bounced back with a win after getting a punch on the nose,” Jackson said. “It was important we bounced back here with a win.

“We spoke about it after Notts County. I thought we were excellent up there and we didn’t get what we deserved.

“So it was about performance levels tonight and I felt that if we turned up and had a professional attitude towards the work then we would be OK.

“I just felt we could up the tempo in the second half. They were happy to sit and contain and slow the game down.

“We wanted to move the ball quicker and vary our attack and I thought we were excellent in the second half.”

Tilley broke the deadlock after a fine run and finish and Jackson praised the way the player has adapted to a wing-back role.

He added: “James has done great. I thought he might have wondered where he might have fitted in when we started playing this system.

“But he has got his head down and bought into the defensive element of it.

“But tonight we are talking about his attacking output. And when he jinked inside on his right I was thinking ‘don’t do that’. But he pulled one out of the bag.”

Morecambe manager Derek Adams admitted his side paid the price for failing to make more of the chances that came their way.

But he insisted it was too early to panic despite the club’s standing at the foot of the table.

“I thought we were very competitive in the first half,” Adams said. “We stopped Wimbledon from playing and were very good in the set-plays and there were chances for both sides.

“We looked really solid up until half-time then in the second half they got a goal from 30 yards that we should have done better with.

“That goal changed the way the contest is going and we should have done better with the second and third goals.

“So really the issues with the goals were our own doing. Then we didn’t give a great response after that, which was disappointing.

“They did better than us in the big moments of the game.

“We are only five points off a number of teams above us. The table is so tight and a few wins along the way, which we need, we understand that, but we have to be better in the big moments.”