Charlton Athletic defeat will not define our season – AFC Wimbledon boss Downes is staying defiant in League One survival fight

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

AFC Wimbledon manager Wally Downes did not see today’s 2-1 loss to Charlton Athletic as a decisive blow to their survival hopes.

The Dons are rock bottom of League One and all four clubs immediately above the drop-zone won – leaving the South Londoners seven points adrift of safety.

Wimbledon go to Shrewsbury Town next Saturday. Last season’s play-off semi-finalists were 2-1 winners at Peterborough and are 19th in the standings.

“It’s the chicken and the egg, when you are down at the bottom and things go against you,” said Downes. “If you make mistakes and bad decisions then you finish up in the lower half of the division.

“Charlton at home is not going to define our season. We’ve now got three games against teams in and around us – and we go again at Shrewsbury on Saturday.”

Michael Folivi scored his first Football League goal. The on-loan Watford striker was replaced by James Hanson in the final 19 minutes.

Downes said: “It was great to see him get his goal. I just thought we might have needed a little bit more of a spark to change it around, because he is only 20 and to be put into this type of situation – perhaps it was time for him to come off after an hour.

“He gives us another dimension, because he is a very talented boy.”