Houghton 'lost for words' following defeat to fellow strugglers Tranmere

When things don't go your way in football, everything goes against you, according to midfielder Jordan Houghton following Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Tranmere Rovers.
Jordan Houghton battles in the midfieldJordan Houghton battles in the midfield
Jordan Houghton battles in the midfield

A lot changed in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's defeat to Tranmere, with Paul Tisdale sacked by chairman Pete Winkelman, before Russell Martin was installed as manager less than 24 hours later on Sunday.

The defeat though, still leaves Dons in a precarious position - one point above the relegation zone and without a win in nine league games - irrespective of the manager stood in the dugout for the next game. Rushian Hepburn-Murphy netted a hat-trick for Rovers, but a hectic final seven minutes before the break saw Dons draw level, before being reduced to 10 men when Kieran Agard was sent off, then feeling aggrieved when Connor Jennings escaped with a yellow following an elbow to Dean Lewington.

Houghton, who had backed Tisdale in his post-match interview, said the dressing room was deflated in the aftermath, especially after he felt Dons were going to take the game by the scruff of the neck after Ben Reeves' equaliser.

"We're frustrated, it's hard to put into words," he said. "We're all so angry. We had the game. I thought we looked good. Even though they went 1-0 up, we had a but about us, looked dangerous and passed the ball nicely. But the red card killed us.

"When it's not going for you, it's not going for you. We have to stick together and things will change. I felt we were going to kick on after the equaliser.

"When you're on these runs, it's funny how football works – you never get a break. We're all deflated, but we have to pick ourselves up. We have an eager group to keep learning.

"Sometimes, circumstances you don't even think of can change and you're back in it. We have to plug away, work hard and keep trying. In the 90th minute, we had people sprinting back, we want to work until the final whistle on the final day."