Dons give Neal good feelings

Dominant

NEAL Ardley smiled when asked if a convincing AFC Wimbledon win at Bristol Rovers had eased the pressure on him as manager. “I don’t think about pressure,” he said. “I sleep easily at night because I know I give everything I have to the job and the club.

“If other people want to put pressure on me, that is up to them. But here, the team gave a totally professional performance and thoroughly deserved the points.

“My only concern was that after 20 minutes, we were only oneup, having missed some unbelievable chances.

“But the lads stayed together and the goals we did score were superb.

“We conceded a worldie at the end but other than that, our goalkeeper hasn’t had much to do.”

It’s eight defeats in nine games for Rovers and manager Darrell Clarke gave his players the chance to have their say afterwards.

“I asked them if it was me that is the problem,” he said.

“They are behind me and it was not the right time to tear a strip off them because they are hurting, as I am.

“Our problem was inconsistency but that is no longer the case because we are losing every week. All I can say is that I know this club inside out and I will come out fighting.

“We are conceding too many goals and the manner of them is a concern.

“But I won’t hang individual players out to dry. We all have to do better and that includes myself.”

It took the visitors less than two minutes to capitalise on a wretched Rovers performance.

Andy Barcham was allowed to dribble into the box from the left and beat Adam Smith with a deft chip from a narrow angle.

Cody McDonald fired over an unguarded net and Lyle Taylor shot wide after an error by Smith as Wimbledon dominated the opening exchanges.

They were rewarded again just before the break when midfielder Harry Forrester was given space to advance into the box and hammered an unstoppable rightfooted drive across Smith and into the top corner.

The result was put beyond doubt on 61 minutes when McDonald did well to control a long ball forward and fired past Smith from 12 yards, with the home defence merely spectators.

Lee Brown fired a consolation for the hosts from the corner of the box on 88 minutes, but the superb strike could not disguise his side’s worst home display in a long while.

STAR MAN LYLE TAYLOR AFC Wimbledon