JON’S JOY FOR HIS NEW BOYS
WALSALL lost nine regular first-teamers during the summer – but fresh faces Erhun Oztumer and Simeon Jackson showed they might not be missed.
Oztumer scored a stunning early free-kick and set up the first of Jackson’s brace, although Wimbledon had their own chances and deserved Lyle Taylor’s late consolation from the spot.
The game was Jon Whitney’s first one as permanent manager following two caretaker spells last season and he hopes to mount another promotion push after May’s play-off heartache.
Whitney said: “Last season is totally gone. I won’t spend a minute more thinking about it. It’s about my team now and this season I want to create a new successful chapter.
“This showed that if teams think we are just going to keel over when we are physically threatened, well, we can handle it and we will battle.
“If we do that, then we’ve got the quality to then come up with the goods, as Oztumer’s free-kick showed and Simeon’s hard work paid off with his two goals as well.
“Those two will take the accolades but I think the whole team can take credit for a really good performance.”
Dons boss Neal Ardley was left to rue a spell midway through the first when his side had three golden chances to equalise at 1-0 down.
Ardley said: “The opening goal was a worldie so you find yourselves 1-0 down and it’s ‘Welcome to League One’, that little bit of quality, that little bit of magic.
“But between their first goal and the second, we’ve had the three best chances of the game. Chris Whelpdale had a great chance to equalise and then their keeper makes two unbelievable saves.
“They are moments that change games and 1-1 becomes 2-0. And then as the game stretched in the second half, we got caught on the break with a third.
“I said to the boys, performance-wise, if we play like that we will be fine but if we defend like that, we won’t.”
Dons have won six promotions in 14 seasons but were left in no doubt this will be their toughest step up yet as early as the seventh minute, Oztumer curling a sumptuous free-kick in off the post. Wimbledon had chances to level but Whelpdale scuffed a golden opportunity wide from ten yards and Walsall keeper Neil Etheridge made a double save to deny Taylor and Andy Barcham.
They were punished for those misses seven minutes before the break as disastrous Dons defending from another Oztumer free-kick allowed Jackson to poke home from close range.
Jackson volleyed home sub Amadou Bakayoko’s cross from close range to seal the points before Taylor netted a Dons consolation from the spot after he was fouled in the box.