Alex Woodyard prioritised a return to the levels we showed previously that brought about our ten-game unbeaten run, in the aftermath of derby disappointment.
We missed Ayoub Assal due to illness and failed to rise to the occasion as neighbours Sutton completed a League Two double over us, with a 2-1 victory in front of a 1400 plus turn out of Dons fans away from home.
“We were nowhere near good enough for the first twenty to thirty minutes,” said Woody. “Especially after the standards we’d set. It’s disappointing, as our fans had travelled in their numbers, and they were making so much noise for us before the game.
“It was disappointing that we were below our recent levels. We’ve got to make sure now that we get back to that against Crewe in our next game on Saturday. Unbeaten runs are going to come to an end though and now we need to start another one.
“Although we were away, it felt like we were at home. With the noise our supporters made, they were a lot noisier than the home fans. Before the game they created a lot of positive energy.”
Josh Davison levelled the scores before half-time and joined Ethan Chislett on nine goals apiece for the season, but the absence of top scorer Ayoub Assal was telling for the Dons.
“Ayoub is very ill,” said Woody. “We’re hoping he can get back fighting fit as soon as possible. He’s been so good for us. When he gets at players, it’s such an attacking threat. For sure you could tell that we really missed him. Hopefully we can get him back because we need someone like Ayoub with his quality.
“Josh works his socks off. He gets in behind and he’s a threat. He never gives defenders a minute’s rest, so it’s really good that he has scored in our last two games. We’ve got goals in the team, what with Ethan flying and Ayoub too, when he’s fit.
“There are still some positives to take from it, but overall, a disappointing performance from us as it was a local derby, and I am gutted about that.”
Photos: Simon Roe (Pro Sports Images).
You can see the full interview with Alex Woodyard below, via the link to our official YouTube channel.