Johnnie Jackson rages at ‘mind-boggling’ decision to allow Sutton winner

AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson was left fuming after seeing his side beaten by a controversial Sutton winner.

Sutton skipper Craig Eastmond scored the only goal of the game after 30 minutes when Wimbledon goalkeeper Nik Tzanev spilled a shot, although he looked to have been fouled in the resulting scramble.

However, the officials allowed the goal to stand and Jackson was booked for his touchline protests in the aftermath.

The Dons boss branded the decision not to award a foul “mind-boggling”.

“After seeing those given every week, it’s an easy one for the referee to give,” said Jackson.

“It’s one of those circumstances where he’s got to be absolutely certain there’s not a foul rather than the other way.

“On other parts of the pitch it might be the complete opposite to that.

“When your goalkeeper gets clattered like that he’s got to be certain there’s no foul to allow a goal like that to stand.

“You very, very rarely see them given and I’m not happy with that.

“The fact that everyone in the ground can see it apart from the one man who needs to is obviously mind-boggling.”

Sutton manager Matt Gray had sympathy for Jackson, admitting he could see why his former Tottenham youth team-mate was left upset by the decision.

“I wouldn’t be happy if I was them,” he said. “But I haven’t watched it back to be honest.

“I’ve only seen it in real time, but it looks like a melee and you can see why the referee might have given a foul in there.

“I’ve known Johnnie since I was 14 or 15, we came through together at Spurs and kept in touch.

“It’s nice to come up against him in such a big game.”

Sutton went into the game on a poor run of four straight defeats but produced a steely performance in South West London.

They would have won by a greater margin had Tzanev not made two superb saves after the break to deny Will Randall and Josh Neufville.

“It was a superb performance, added Gray. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks for us.

“It’s the worst little run we’ve been on in three years and, as I say, it’s only a little run.

“We’ve been hit really badly with injuries and we’ve had some massive players out today.

“It was a makeshift back four so it’s a great clean sheet for us amidst a great away performance. It certainly could have been a few more.”