Back line has to show more character to stop leaking goals

The Dons defence has to show more grit and determination after three more goals flew past them on Saturday afternoon as they crashed to defeat against Wigan Athletic

After letting in four against Northampton, Shrewsbury, three to Gillingham and Wigan and another to Oxford to amount to 15 in five matches, what had been Dons' reliable back-line has become a distinctly weak link of late.

Russell Martin spoke on Friday of his side's need to shore up at the back, especially to set-pieces, but it was crosses for headers which was their undoing at the DW Stadium.

"We're conceding too many goals," said the manager. "We have to show more character because we're off the back of a really good run but now it's a tricky, testing time. We have to come through it. The thing costing us is set-pieces, we've given away too many penalties and we cannot defend crosses. That has been our undoing again today.

"In the last two, we've done some good stuff but we can't reflect on it because we've got other things to look at.

"There is always something we can do, but we need to do it more. To get the guys playing the way they do for the majority of our games requires a lot of hard work. It takes a long time and it can be painful. But it needs to be quicker and we have to make sure of that. But it's more to that – there are reasons why we have to work on it too.

"The stuff that is holding us back is clear for everyone to see and we have to put a stop to it."