AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson says his players should take encouragement from their performance against Stockport County.

The Dons took an early second-half lead at Edgeley Park on Saturday through Jayden Stockley, which they held until Jack Diamond's 64th-minute equaliser. Ethan Ennis then scored the winner for the hosts.

The victory leaves Stockport in second in League One, with the Dons down in 18th after a run of seven games without a win, but Jackson is not concerned after recent displays.

"The last two performances have been a lot better. We've looked more like a Wimbledon team," he told BBC Radio London.

"We want to pick up points as well. I think we will if we continue to show up like we did [against Stockport].

"I think we can take encouragement from the fact that we caused them plenty of issues. They did to us as well and we just come out the wrong side of a close one."

AFC Wimbledon are next in action on Saturday in the FA Cup first round, away at Crewe Alexandra, who are fourth in League Two.

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson says he was pleased with the fight his team showed in the 1-1 draw with Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

The Dons came into the game off the back of three straight defeats in League One and conceded eight goals without reply in their past two matches.

But against Wycombe they took the lead through Jayden Stockley and, although this was cancelled out on the hour mark by Fred Onyedinma, Jackson was a happy man.

"[It was] probably a fair result, on balance," Jackson told BBC Radio London.

"They had some moments, we had some moments. But it was a miles improved performance from us on the last two.

"Obviously we wanted a win, but it was important we didn't lose as well.

"My message to the group was that - before we talk about shape, tactics, what we want to look like with and without the ball - it's about running, fighting, being hard to beat and coming up against your man and trying to win some duels.

"The response from my team was good in that regard."

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson said Mansfield Town showed more desire than his team after they were beaten 3-0 at home on Tuesday.

Michael Smith scored twice for the Stags in the first half-hour as Jackson's side suffered a third straight league defeat.

"They had more energy than us, they looked like they wanted it more in that first half," Jackson told BBC Radio London.

"In that period, they showed a lot more desire to be front-footed and play forward and run forward.

"When you see the reaction in the second half, and we're doing all the things that they did to us, it's hard to take that we didn't start the game like that.

"It shouldn't take a rocket at half-time to [make the players] come out and react.

"We did but it was too little, too late. The start of the game was nowhere near good enough."

The Dons are now 16th in League One before on Saturday playing host to Wycombe Wanderers, who sit one place and two points above them.

Jackson is keen to see his side revert to the style of football that has become their trademark under him.

"Perhaps we've gone away from the Wimbledon that's got us success, which is front-foot football, forward balls, forward runs, play in their half, maybe be a bit more direct," he added.

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson says anyone selected for Tuesday's League One game with Mansfield Town "needs to know they're lucky" to be in the team.

His comments came after Saturday's 5-0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday - the Dons' heaviest league defeat since losing by the same score at Peterborough last November.

"[It's] a really good thing that we don't have to stew on that for a week," Jackson told BBC Radio London.

"We have to just focus on Mansfield now and pick a team that we feel can hurt them.

"But anyone who's in that team needs to know they're lucky they get the opportunity to start the game, because I don't think anyone can honestly say on the performance [at Hillsborough] they deserve that opportunity.

"When we've had one of these types of days, we've seen a reaction from the group, so I can take a little bit of solace in the fact we normally react in a really positive way and that's what we need to do.

"We've got two home games now to try to right some of the wrongs."

After Wimbledon's game with Mansfield, they will host Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson said goalkeeper Josef Bursik "answered all the questions" posed of him in the 1-0 win over Doncaster.

Bursik, 26, arrived on loan from Portsmouth on transfer deadline day and has kept clean sheets in his first two matches for the Dons.

"They [Doncaster] are probably wondering how they haven't scored a goal," Jackson told BBC Radio London.

"The reason they haven't scored is because we put our bodies on the line, we made blocks when we needed to, our goalkeeper's made saves and we generally worked unbelievably hard to keep the ball out of the net.

"Joe is a top keeper. I wasn't just going to bring in a goalkeeper for the sake of it.

"But if there was an opportunity to bring someone [in] that I felt could improve us and make us a stronger unit, then I would take it.

"The opportunity to sign Joe came up and we took it. He does most things very well, he's got a good temperament and it's started well for him.

"There are going to be tougher days but [against Doncaster] he was put under a lot of pressure and he answered all the questions."

Aaron Paul is joined by Bristol City winger Jed Wallace and AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson in the latest episode of the 72+ podcast.

They discuss what's next for Leicester City and Russell Martin after the Foxes were thrashed 4-0 at home by Oxford United last weekend to leave them 18th in League One.

Jackson reflects on Wimbledon's start to the campaign and Michael Duff's sacking at Wycombe Wanderers after just five games - with the Chairboys 23rd in the third tier - is also a topic of conversation.

Listen to the full episode above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

AFC Wimbledon midfielder James Tilley will be assessed after sustaining a suspected hamstring injury in the 2-0 win at Bromley on Monday.

The 28-year-old set up Jayden Stockley's opening goal in the eighth minute, but went off 20 minutes later.

"It looks like a hamstring, with the way he pulled up and felt it," Dons boss Johnnie Jackson told BBC Radio London.

"How severe [it is] I don't know yet, we'll have to assess him over the next couple of days.

"[It's a] blow because he started the game really well [with] a great ball in for Jayden's goal and he was popping up in some interesting areas for us on the pitch.

"It's a shame for him and probably the only dampener on the night."