What a difference a week makes – or does it? Well, that is the question that AFC Wimbledon fans will be asking after a week that has seen two big morale-boosting Cup wins.
After conceding eight goals in two heavy league defeats, it was very much a case of a reset for Johnnie Jackson’s team. The manager has put a new belief into the team and started the season well. League Two being the competitive beast that it is, an inevitable blip was going to happen.
With the past couple of seasons still hanging heavily over the club, any kind of bad run would have people criticising the manager and wanting change. So, when two losses, 4-2 at home to Accrington Stanley and 4-1 away at Morecambe, came off the back of three games without a win, it was unsurprising that the boo-boys would surface.
Positive Reset
The FA Cup gave all at the club a chance to take a deep breath and revise where things had gone wrong. Even though they were playing higher opposition in League One Cheltenham Town, they went into the game as favourites. Perhaps largely due to the fact that their opponents have had trouble finding the net so far.
You can only beat what is in front of you, and so they did with a truly unexpected 5-1 thrashing. It tells a story though that even with the goals rattling in, some in attendance at Plough Lane were getting nervous when Town pulled a goal back and then had a penalty, which was missed, inside the last ten minutes.
Then with a quick chance to back this fine effort up, a strong Dons side was selected to play Crystal Palace Academy in the EFL Trophy. A quick-fire double from striker Josh Davison in the opening 20 minutes was all that was needed, but there were moments when Wimbledon could’ve added to that brace.
Important Games
These two results would’ve restored that early season belief. It is though the league form that needs correcting and on Saturday they will have to try and shake off their home game blues – although the two Cup wins have been at Plough Lane – when Doncaster Rovers visit. This game will be very important as the week after they go to the team that caused their existence in current form. A couple more bad results in these two games could well see the good work done in the past week undone.
Johnnie Jackson entered the season with a target on his back. He always knew that any bad run would see him in the firing line. The way he held himself during past interviews was very telling, he looked as defeated as his team was practically week in, week out. This nature had started to slip back in. Hopefully, the Cup results would’ve reignited the fire he showed in the early part of the season, and this will carry over into his players in the coming month, as he will be tested in games against Notts County and Gillingham.
