AFC Wimbledon’s Matty Stevens’ hat-trick overflows Carlisle United

LEAGUE TWO

By Jonathan Bray

AFC WIMBLEDON 4

Stevens 8, 39, 50, Harper 45+3

CARLISLE UNITED 0

HERO: Matty Stevens completes his hat-trick for the Dons

PICTURES: Alamy

SLIDE RULE: Stevens celebrates

MATTY Stevens scored a hat-trick for AFC Wimbledon as his boss Johnnie Jackson said a return to the Cherry Red Records Stadium had inspired his team to a 4-0 victory.

The Dons were forced to postpone three home games after major flooding lead to the pitch collapsing.

Jackson’s side were 3-0 up at half-time thanks to two fine finishes from Matty Stevens and a Cameron Harper own goal.

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Overcoming adversity

It was 4-0 shortly after the break as Stevens completed his hat-trick to condemn the Cumbrians to their eighth defeat of the season.

Jackson believes that overcoming adversity is what AFC Wimbledon is all about.

“It was no one’s fault, so we just had to make sure that when we turned back up here, we had energy and enthusiasm about what we were doing,” he said.

“It was brilliant that we could get back here [so quickly] and play.

‘We know we are a good team’

“That has been the message really all week, that we need to use being back here to our advantage and that is what we have done.

“We know we are a good team, we never lost sight of that.

“It is just frustrating when you are not playing you are watching the results come in and other teams get further away from you.

As always the club has overcome it’

“This club was built on adversity and overcoming obstacles, it is just another one that has been put in our way, but as always the club has overcome it.

“The way that everyone rallied around when it happened was amazing and it was a credit to everyone for getting the game back on.

“We thought we might not be back here for a long while, so to get the game on and for the pitch to play as well as it did took a huge effort from a lot of people.”

Stevens completed his hat-trick

The home fans did not have to wait long for their first goal at home since mid-September as Stevens headed James Tilley’s cross into the bottom left corner in the seventh minute.

Harry Lewis saved Alistair Smith’s long-range effort in the 39th minute, only to see Stevens convert the rebound to double Wimbledon’s lead.

It was 3-0 before the break when a corner sparked a melee in the box, leading to Cameron Harper turning the ball into his own net.

Stevens completed his hat-trick just after half-time, popping up at the far post to head in another excellent Tilley delivery.

‘It was a really poor performance’

The visitors finally put Johnnie Jackson’s side under pressure during the final 20 minutes, but they could not get on the scoresheet.

Carlisle boss Mike Williamson said: “It was a really poor performance.

“There are so many things that we need to improve, we need to accept where we are as a football club from top to bottom.

“We knew this coming in, and these boys are in a very difficult place to be.

‘That was unacceptable from top to bottom’

“It may look to other people like they are finding it difficult, but it is hard when you are on that football pitch and have to take that responsibility.

“We have got to find a way, that was unacceptable from top to bottom, the fans that came all the way down here are sacrificing and that was unacceptable.

“For us, we have got to accept where we are and we have got a lot of work to do. “We looked nervous, we looked as though we did not want to play forward.”