Dynamic midfielder relieved to make amends with his first Dons goal
Harry Pell emerged as Wimbledon’s hero last night by battling through the pain barrier to score his first goal for the club, but he was quick to take responsibility for Plymouth’s opener.
An eventful night for the dynamic midfielder started in the pre-match warm-up when Harry suffered an injury and he turned from villain to hero in the space of less than 30 seconds during the first-half.
Speaking to Rob Cornell on Dons Player, Harry said: “I am a team player and I do not want to let the side down. For their first goal I would have to say that it was my fault for giving the ball away. Could we have done better to stop it? I am not sure so I will have to hold my hands up for that goal.
“There are two things you can do in that situation though. Either you can look down to the floor or react and do something about it. The ball fell to me and it was great to redeem myself with my first Wimbledon goal. I was buzzing about that, but it is mixed emotions really as we wanted to get three points. The main aim is for the club to stay up.
“I suffered an injury (gluteus maximus) during the pre-match warm-up. I felt okay in the first-half, but during the second-half I was instructed to stay further back, which is not really my game. I like to get forward, but I am just happy to be a part of a team on a good run at the moment.”
Harry is relishing the prospect of a trip to Whaddon Road on Saturday after having quite a few battles with Cheltenham over the years when he was playing for Hereford United. Just this season, Harry helped the Bulls earn a 1-1 draw at Cheltenham in the FA Cup, before the Robins edged the replay at Edgar Street. The 21-year-old midfielder is hoping for a change in fortunes this Saturday in a match that will also see Alan Bennett returning to his former club.
“I have spoken to Alan about this and there is nothing I would like more than to see him score against his former club,” Harry added. “I love playing at Cheltenham and I have had a good couple of games against them. Hopefully, we can get back to winning ways. We are unbeaten in four games and the morale is good in the camp – we have a never-say-die attitude. I have been through this before and you learn a lot about yourself when you are fighting against relegation.
“I do not think we should be worrying about what is going on around us with the other teams. We need to concentrate on ourselves. The gaffer and his coaching team will analyse the performance against Plymouth and show us what we did right and wrong. Hopefully, we can take that on board and get three points on Saturday.”
Dons Player subscribers can watch the full video interview with Harry Pell on our premium site.