Dons new boy makes perfectfirst impression
AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley believes new signing Joe Pigott can become a fan favourite after his debut goal gave the Dons a well-deserved victory to escape the relegation zone.
The striker, who made the move from Maidstone United, scored in the second half after coming on as a substitute.
And while Ardley was delighted with the 24-year-old’s performance, he claims he doesn’t keep tabs on the league table.
“First impressions are important,” he said. “Hopefully the fans will be delighted with Joe straight away, egg him on and cheer him which is what you want.
“You want that bond between a new signing and the fans, he’s certainly introduced himself well. I knew that’s what he’s capable of – that’s why we signed him.
“I don’t look at the league table and I try and tell our players not to worry about it because sometimes you can get a good point away from home but the teams around you win a game which puts a dampener on it.
“Not every team can get to 53, 54 points. We just set our targets, have a bit of tunnel vision and keep chipping away.”
Blackpool opened the game with an early effort from Dan Agyei whose low shot outside the box forced a save from George Long.
Wimbledon’s best chance in the first half came when Lyle Taylor’s free-kick was met by Tom Soares just outside the six-yard box but his header ended up over the crossbar.
Sessi D’Almeida almost got his side on the scoreboard before half-time but was unable to find the target when well-placed inside the box.
The hosts took the lead early in the second period as Cody McDonald’s shot from the left was saved by Joe Lumley but the ball rebounded, allowing a tapin for Trotter into an empty net.
The victory was sealed in the 77th minute when Pigott scored the second with a stylish and precise shot from the right-hand side of the box into the far corner.
And Blackpool boss Gary Bowyer vented his frustration at his defenders.
“The two goals were poor defensively for us and we were punished for it,” he said.
“I felt sorry for Joe Lumley because he pulled off a magnificent save and we’ve not backed him up.
“We’ve not done ourselves credit and we’ve certainly not given the wonderful support that we had anything to shout about. That’s disappointing from us.”