Post-match interview with assistant manager
Neil Cox said that there was no ranting and raving at the players during half-time today as AFC Wimbledon searched for a solution to a desperate situation at Curzon Ashton.
At 2-0 down, it looked like Neal Ardley’s men were going to be the victims of a big FA Cup upset as hosts Curzon Ashton belied the three-division gap between the two teams.
Speaking to Rob Cornell during a post-match interview for Dons Player after the thrilling 4-3 win, Wimbledon’s assistant manager said: “The manager was calm at half-time. He talked about how we could score goals and it was not pretty football, but we scraped it in the end. There was no point ranting and raving. The boys knew just as much as we did that they had not played well. You have to try and tell them what to do to get something out of the game.
“Tyrone made a big difference after coming on as a substitute. To be fair to the boys, they stuck in there. They have a great team spirit and they have a great camaraderie between them. They managed to get themselves out of it.”
Neil added that the squad were pleased to reward the 480 Dons for travelling in their numbers and he also gave credit to opponents Curzon Ashton.
“It is fantastic at this football club,” said Neil. “We are building and building and the fans are behind us. I know the first-half was not very good, but they got behind us in the second-half and it was nice to score the goals in front of them so that they could celebrate.
“The main thing is that we are in the next round of the FA Cup. In the first-half Curzon played really well and took their chances. You have to give them credit as they really went for it, they had loads of energy and really closed us down. They pressed and pressed us, but in the end they ran out of legs and we took our chances to win the game.”
The full post-match reaction with Neil Cox will follow later on and an interview with Barry Fuller, along with highlights, will follow tomorrow.
Pic credit: Stuart Butcher, Pro Sports Images.