AFC Wimbledon: Brown Not Getting Carried Away by Dons' Impressive Start

AFC Wimbledon manager Terry Brown was keen to keep his team’s feet on the ground following their 3-1 victory over Gillingham on Saturday, which lifted the newly promoted side up to fourth in League Two.

Brown ruled out a playoff push this season, in a bid to take the pressure off his side.

“The first results I look for on a Saturday are those involving the bottom sides. I want to be safe in this league, there’s no point in going through nine years of toil and hard work to blow it in the first year,” he said.

“We have got our feet bang smack on the ground. If we keep grafting we have got enough ability to stay in this league.”

Wimbledon raced into a three goal lead within just 22 minutes at a sweltering Kingsmeadow, with a two-minute double salvo from Christian Jolley being added to by a cool finish by Jack Midson, who now has seven league goals for the season.

“The chances were coming pretty quickly first half, and we took full advantage of those. But we had to dog it out second half,” Brown added.

Gillingham, whose front line was led by ex-Don Danny Kedwell, woke up in the second period and were determined to make up for some woeful defending that ultimately cost them the three points.

Charlie Lee pulled one back in the 63rd minute with a fine curling effort from the edge of the area, but despite some nerves in the Dons' back four, the comeback never truly materialised.

The win was tempered by an injury to established left-back Gareth Gwillim, who Brown said had a suspected medial ligament injury.

“I think he’ll be out for four-six weeks. But one man’s loss is another’s gain, and Chris Bush—who we were looking to loan out—will now start on Tuesday night,” he said.

“We now go into Stevenage (in Tuesday’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie) and Morecambe who are doing brilliantly, so I can’t say I’m delighted about the next two games.”

Kedwell was kept quiet by Dons captain Jamie Stuart, and said afterwards: “I’m disappointed not to score, as I am in any game. But I hope AFC Wimbledon do really well this season.”

AFC Wimbledon: Brown, Hatton, Gwillim (Johnson 4), Stuart, McNaughton, Minshull (Porter 78), Yusseff, S Moore, L Moore (Mulley 30), Midson

Attendance: 4,606