Wally Downes told his players not to be disheartened after defeat against Barnsley today.
The 4-1 loss came after Wimbledon had threatened to push promotion chasers Barnsley all the way with a first-half equaliser from Joe Pigott.
Speaking during his post-match interview for iFollow, Wally said: “They shouldn’t be down. We said that we would go head to head with Barnsley today. We had three games away from home when we played a little bit conservatively. We had tried to get a result at Fleetwood by hook or by crook as it was just about being in the hat for the next round. Against Portsmouth and Coventry we were sort of restricted by injuries with how we had to play. Today, we had enough bodies to play like I’d like to play. For an hour we went head to head with them to see where we are at. For that spell, I was more than happy with them as I thought we gave them a good game.
“We were beaten by a better side, but I felt that we competed on level terms up until the second goal went in. When a team playing with as much confidence as they are get into the lead it’s difficult to peg them back. Their third goal was a killer for us because at 2-1 we were still in it. Once the third goal goes in, they are strolling around and they can keep the ball. They are a good side with good players and they are a confident team. It was difficult for us at that stage.
“If we’d have scored before half-time the game would have been different. You could be coming in at half-time and the team-talk is different and the attitude to the second-half is different, everything would have changed, but that’s the way football is. We knew going into the game that they were the best side in the division, certainly that I’d been watching. I thought we acquitted ourselves very well, up until the second goal went in. Their confidence built and we just struggled to get back into it after that.”
Click on the link above for Wally’s full interview on iFollow.