Johnnie Jackson enjoys ‘a good day’ as AFC Wimbledon end wait for home win

Johnnie Jackson praised his AFC Wimbledon’s side persistence as they resisted a Reading fightback to take a 3-2 win.

Victory, having twice let the lead slip, saw Jackson’s Dons grab back-to-back wins and seal a first home league win since late September, and Jackson was delighted with the result.

He said: “It’s a good day. Big result for us. It was important to go back-to-back having picked up a win late in the week.

“We wanted to really double down on that today and back it up with a win as well as we haven’t had a win at home for a while. To go and perform the way we did, it’s a good day.

“One of the most pleasing aspects is that to lead and get pegged back twice, I think some teams might have a little crumble and might fold. But today, we used that as the fuel to go again.

“Straight away, we started taking the game to get another goal and we did so with probably the pick of the bunch in the third goal. Then we managed to defend it really well after that. I’m really pleased.”

The Dons opened the scoring after seven minutes as Marcus Browne bundled home when Joel Pereira spilled Junior Nkeng’s angled cross-shot.

Reading equalised after 33 minutes when Jack Marriott beat home keeper Nathan Bishop from a tight angle.

AFC Wimbledon restored their lead in the 53rd minute when Browne tapped in after Pereira dropped Isaac Ogundere’s deflected cross.

But Reading equalised again after 65 minutes, as Jeriel Dorsett headed in from close range from a Royals corner.

Browne decided the contest and sealed his hat-trick in the 71st minute when he received Callum Maycock’s pass and guided a strike into the bottom corner.

Reading boss Leam Richardson was left to lament individual errors for the goals his side conceded.

He said: “I’m disappointed with the result.

“Congratulations to Wimbledon for the victory. With that, three individual errors caused the goals.

“We huffed and puffed and for all our possession, we gave the ball away far too cheaply. Against a team like this who are going to hurt you in transition, you’ll always be made to defend. I thought we gave too many chances up.

“We worked hard to get back into the game twice. I can live with individual errors because nobody means to make them, but that’s the result today.

“It’s just the nature of the beast. Some of our lads have had outstanding performances of late but today, we weren’t at the races individually and collectively, me included. So we’ll take it together and move on.

“We’ve got to come back stronger every time and today will be no different.”