Jackson bemoans ‘mind-boggling’ refereeing decision in derby defeat

By Dan Evans

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson was left baffled by the decision of referee Carl Brook to allow the decisive goal to stand in the Dons 1-0 defeat to Sutton United on Saturday.

Jackson was booked by Brook for protesting after claiming that Jack Currie had been fouled in the build-up to Craig Eastmond’s 30th minute strike.

Currie collided with goalkeeper Nick Tzanev as Wimbledon attempted to defend a Sutton free-kick, causing the ball to run loose and allowing U’s captain Eastmond to slot home.

“He (the Sutton player) pushes him into our goalkeeper. It’s an easy one for the ref to give,” claimed Jackson.

“Week in, week out, up and down the country, you see them given,” he added. “Everyone in the ground can see it but the one man who needs to doesn’t. It’s a bit mind boggling.

“The goal has angered me. It changes the complexion of the game and gives a team like Sutton something to defend.”

Wimbledon had created the better chances before Eastmond’s opener, with striker Josh Davison missing a particularly inviting opportunity in the 17th minute, but Jackson admitted his side did not do enough in the second half to earn anything from the game.

“The second half wasn’t good enough; I’m not going to shy away from that,” said the former Charlton boss.

“With the run that we’ve been on, I don’t think the players are stepping up in the big moments at the minute. There is no hiding away from that.”

The Dons have won just three of Jackson’s 13 league games in charge, and they are only three points above the League Two relegation zone ahead of a trip to fellow strugglers Rochdale next weekend.

The 40-year-old was defiant when quizzed on Wimbledon’s current struggles: “I have to concentrate on my team. My team hasn’t won enough games and that’s obviously something that we need to try and correct.

“We have to go again. We have to look at what we’re not doing well enough. We have to try and correct it on the training pitch with hard work.

“I’ll review it, we’ll talk about it as a group of staff and group of players and try and come up with some solutions for next week.”