Our manager couldn’t help but feel let down by our side after we failed to bounce back from going a goal behind to Sutton United in the first-half.
Craig Eastmond put the visitors ahead at Plough Lane in controversial fashion as he bundled home from close range after it appeared that Jack Currie had been fouled in the build-up.
From that point onwards Wimbledon never really came close to scoring aside from Harry Pell’s powerful first-half header, leaving Johnnie understandably dissapointed.
Watch the full interview on our Official YouTube Channel.
“It’s a combination of disappointment, anger and frustration that goes with a defeat in a derby game,” he reflected. “The nature of the goal we conceded makes it tough but our reaction in the second-half wasn’t good enough. We spoke about how we were going to hurt them all week and about how brave we needed to be with the ball but I don’t think we implemented it well enough.
“It was a foul on Jack. His shirt was pulled and he was nudged into Tans (Nik Tzanev). I would guess that’s why the referee hasn’t given it as a foul as it’s our own player that’s collided with our goalkeeper. It seemed like an easy decision to make. The referee is probably the only person in the stadium that thought it wasn’t a foul. You have to wonder what role the fourth official and the linesman are playing in it.”
It was a day of disappointment at Plough Lane which left a bitter taste in the mouth with Johnnie questioning the desire within our squad as we largely failed to stand up to the challenge.
“Not enough of us have stepped up to the plate,” he said. “We have to ask what people are bringing to the party. I see a good team in training, the preparation is always spot on, but it hasn’t translated onto the pitch. We all have to take responsibility for that – myself, the staff and the players.
“I‘ll be asking the players if defeat hurts them enough – does it hurt them as much as the supporters and me? I’ll dissect the game like I always do and I’ll ask myself what I could’ve done better and how I can improve this team. We’re all in it together, this is our club and we all want the best for it.”
Johnnie confirmed that Lee Brown missed today’s match through illness.
PICS: Ian Stephen (Pro Sports Images)