Johnnie Jackson praises team spirit after 1-0 win against Stockport County
AFC Wimbledon got back to winning ways with a 1-0 win against Stockport County on Saturday, following a tough few weeks for the club.
After a three-match winless run, postponed fixtures and the departures of key players, Johnnie Jackson was pleased to return to winning ways.
“(It was a) brilliant performance from my team, especially in the second half,” Jackson said.
“I thought we really took the game to them, created a lot of chances, scored a great goal and in the moments where we had to defend our penalty box, we did it really well.”
Jackson was most pleased about the all-round nature of his team’s performance.
He went on to say: “We worked tirelessly to a man, but there was a lot of quality in there as well, especially in the second half we created a lot of openings against a team that doesn’t give out many chances.
“To create those openings and do it all in spite of some decisions that didn’t go our way to win. I’m delighted really.”
January has been a busy month for Wimbledon. The Dons have brought in four players this transfer window and such change brings about potential difficulties when embedding new additions into the squad. However, there seemed to be no such problems for Wimbledon on Saturday.
Jackson went on to say: “On the one hand with the games called off it can be frustrating, but it has allowed us to do a lot of work on the training pitch and bed those new guys in. I thought the ones who started, Ali (Al-Hamadi) and Armani (Little), were magnificent and you’re bringing Saikou (Janneh) off the bench for his debut. They look like they’ve been part of it for a long time so that’s really pleasing.”
With such change, Jackson was keen to express his pride in his team’s character over this difficult period.
With a smile, he went on to say, “I think that’s a hallmark of this team. It’s something we’ve spoken about from day dot, and it takes a while to get there. I think you see before today; that’s one defeat in 14 in the league. Unless you’ve got that in your locker, to be able to defend like that and dig deep when you need to, you’re not going to be able to go on runs like that. So, credit to all the boys for being able to go on a run like that.”
Finally, Jackson wished farewell to Ayoub Assal following his departure. The former Dons player left this week to join Qatari side Al-Wakrah, but Jackson was happy for Assal to continue his development.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the boy, it’s going to change his life,” he said.
“We’re really disappointed to lose a player of that calibre. I loved working with him, I really enjoyed it. The club deserves huge credit for developing him before my time through the academy and the people that played a part in that.
“This season we really helped to take his development and his game to the next level, which has culminated in him getting a move. That’s what happens unfortunately at this level, you do lose your best players. People come and make offers that are obviously head-turners.
“Good luck to the boy, he leaves with fond wishes, and I really hope he does well.”
