ROOM FOR OPTIMISM
AFC Wimbledon eye brighter future after bagging their first wins
IT’S an understatement to say that it’s been a difficult start to the season for AFC Wimbledon, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel.
Following last season’s miraculous escape from League One relegation under Crazy Gang star Wally Downes, the Dons headed into this campaign with optimism.
But it quickly faded as the results failed to come. The Dons just couldn’t buy a win. There were three draws and two defeats from their opening five home league games at The Cherry Red Records.
On the road it was even worse. Heading into yesterday’s clash at fellow strugglers Southend, AFC Wimbledon had lost all their six away matches. There were heartbreaking injury-time defeats at high-flying Ipswich and Coventry, and a 2-1 reverse at bitter rivals MK Dons.
The cups didn’t offer any consolation either. MK Dons knocked them out of the Carabao Cup on penalties in the first round after a 2-2 draw and Brighton U21s eased to a 2-0 victory in the Leasing.com Trophy.
It meant August and September produced an unlucky 13 games without a win.
Not only that, but boss Downes was suspended by the club in late September after being charged by the FA over bets placed on games.
But we all know that fortunes can change quickly in football and the arrival of October has given the Londoners new air.
The Dons raced into a threegoal lead in the opening half hour of last Saturday’s home game against Rochdale and eventually ran out 3-2 winners.
It was quickly followed by a 3-0 Leasing.com Trophy success against Leyton Orient on Tuesday night. You wait all season for a win and then two come along together…
The man at the helm for those two triumphs (and a 3-2 defeat at Peterborough before them) was Downes’ assistant Glyn Hodges.
Like Downes, midfielder Hodges was a stalwart of the original Wimbledon when they were making strides in the 80s.
The skilful Welsh international also played for the likes of Sheffield United, Watford and Newcastle.
Since then he’s held a number of coaching roles, including managing Wales U21s and a couple of spells as Barnsley caretaker-manager.
Deserved
It means it hasn’t been too difficult for him to take charge in the absence of former Brentford boss Downes.
“I’m enjoying it,” he told The FLP in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s victory. “As I said before in previous interviews, I’m in the seat but just keeping it warm for Wally.
“I did it before, a long, long time ago, and have done most jobs in and around senior football. It’s nice to have another chance at this but I’m working with Wally anyway, so whether I’m no.1 or no.2, it’s been equally enjoyable.
“The challenge for the players is ‘can we be in a better position when he comes back?’ The more points we can get on the board, the better.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to be but we’ll be giving our all.”
While the first win took a long time in arriving, Hodges remained positive. “That win, for me, had been coming,” he said. “There has been many a game when we’ve been in it and deserved three points.
“Sometimes we’ve got a point but the three home draws before the Bristol Rovers defeat we could easily have won. We had penalty claims turned down, goal-line clearances.
“We knew it was coming, it was just nice to get it over the line. The longer it takes, the edgier you become so I’m hoping we can calm down now, rehalf-time lax and play.” Managers often make wholesale changes for Leasing.com Trophy matches, but Hodges resisted the temptation against League Two O’s.
He made just three alterations to his line-up and it paid off as goals from Joe Pigott (three mins, pen), Michael Folivi (49) and Callum Reilly (79) saw the Dons cruise home, while keeper Nathan Trott superbly kept out a Dale Gorman penalty in the second half.
Rookie
“We’d won on Saturday and I looked at the week and thought there was an opportunity to get back-to-back wins,” he explained.
“Losing becomes a habit, as does winning, so that confidence from those wins can only help us.
“First half, I don’t think we were as good as we were at the weekend and I asked them at to up it. We did and got a couple of goals in the second half, which made it more enjoyable.
“It’s normally a bit tighter than that so it was nice to have that bit of breathing space.”
The other plus from Tuesday night was that there were some fine individual displays, especially from left wing-back Paul Osew, who scored against Rochdale at the weekend.
The 18-year-old rookie, originally a striker, had an assist for Folivi’s goal and scampered down the left wing to good effect all evening.
“He was quite nervy at Peterborough but he was different class playing at home last Saturday and got his goal,” said Hodges.
“That settled him down and tonight he’s shown what he can do again. He got an assist and is even shooting with his right foot – I’ve never seen him do that before! He must be riding high.”
Without the resources of most of their League One rivals, the Dons need to bring young players through and use the loan market cleverly.
“We sprinkle together youth and experience,” said Hodges. “The experienced players are helping and the younger ones are coming to the fore.
“We have given them an opportunity and at the moment they are taking it, so long may it continue.”
When Hodges played for the original Wimbledon, it was in their Plough Lane days. Now the club are on the verge of returning to their spiritual home – they are planning to move into a new stadium on the site of the old Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium next season, with an initial 9,000 capacity.
Staying in League One this season would be a major plus ahead of that move.
“It’s very important,” added Hodges. “Last year, having been so far adrift, it looked as though we would be relegated. To stay up was magnificent.
“There’s one less club in the division this season (due to Bury’s expulsion) so there’s one less to go down.
“We have to make sure we get the points on the board that we deserve.
“We’ve got some catching up to do but there’s a long way to go. The new stadium is on the horizon and it would be fantastic to go there in League One.”