The Football Pink

For 45 minutes AFC Wimbledon did exactly what they came to do at Edgeley Park. Then, a minute into the second half, they did something better. In the end Stockport had too much, and a crowd of 8,737 went home with the points.

Stockport had the ball for long spells before the break. They had 71 per cent of it by the finish, more than 700 passes, and ten corners. In the first half, though, it was all knocking on the door. Kyle Wootton headed wide in the seventh minute and fired just past the post from distance on 21, and Jack Diamond and Lewis Fiorini both had shots blocked in a crowded box. Wimbledon's back five held firm, and their best moment came when Jayden Stockley's header from James Tilley's cross forced a save from Oliver Whatmuff.

Stockley's early blow

Johnnie Jackson's side struck first after the restart. Two minutes into the second half Harry Cornick crossed, and Stockley headed it into the top corner. For a spell they looked the likelier side to score again. Alistair Smith and Ryan Johnson both went close, and Whatmuff had to save from Tilley at close range on the hour.

Jimmy McNulty had already gone to his bench. Oliver Norwood and Josh Dacres-Cogley made way for Jason Adigun and Mikael Mandron on 56 minutes, and Mandron changed the game.

Ten minutes to turn it round

On 64 minutes Mandron laid it off for Diamond, and his right-footed shot from outside the box went low into the bottom left corner. Stockport smelled it now. Ten minutes later, a minute after Mandron had won a free-kick on the left, Diamond crossed, Steve Seddon cut it out in front of Bursik, and Ethan Ennis tapped in the loose ball. It was his first goal for the club.

Wimbledon had their chances to take something. Aron Sasu tested Whatmuff from distance, and in the 86th minute substitute Callum Maycock shot from the middle of the box and was denied again by the Stockport keeper. Adigun almost added a third in stoppage time, but Josef Bursik saved it.

Stockport had only three shots on target, two fewer than Wimbledon, and scored with two of them. That's not the most convincing way to win, but it works. They needed this one after losing at Oxford on Tuesday. It keeps them second, two points behind Huddersfield. It was a fourth straight home league win, too. For Wimbledon there's another defeat, seven league games without a win, and a familiar problem: only nine goals in 13 league games.

"We were stung"

McNulty admitted the first half should have settled it.

With the first-half performance we truthfully could have been 3-0 up and we could have been sailing off into the sunset with what we thought would be a victory at that point.

Jimmy McNulty, Stockport County manager (PA)

We were stung (by Wimbledon's goal), we reacted, we were very threatening in my opinion and even once we'd reversed the scoreline, I think we could have gone and sealed it with more.

Jimmy McNulty

Johnnie Jackson thought his side had the game where they wanted it.

We scored and I think we were really in the ascendancy at that period of the game where we probably needed to go and get a second.

Johnnie Jackson, AFC Wimbledon manager (PA)

I'm pleased the performance level is miles better. We've looked more like a Wimbledon team, but we want to pick up points as well.

Johnnie Jackson