“Damp, vanilla, nothing”: Alexander fumes at Dons performance after defeat to Stockport

Graham Alexander had nothing good to say about his side’s 2-1 defeat to Stockport County on Saturday.

While Mo Eisa’s fifth goal of the season cancelled out Louie Barry’s 18th minute opener, Nick Powell’s header in first-half stoppage time would ultimately win it for the Hatters, while Dons huffed and puffed their way through the second-half with only really a Jack Payne strike of note.

It is now just one point from a possible nine for Dons, after losing to Crewe and drawing 1-1 with Notts County last weekend, but Alexander felt their performance against Stockport was the worst he’d seen since taking over.

“You could feel it - it was damp, it was vanilla, it was nothing right from the first minute,” he said. “We never played with a purpose.

“The first-half cost us. We had no intensity, speed or commitment to what we've been doing of late. The first-half was not good enough and the game was lost then.

“I can't lie and say we deserved anything from that game today. The way we started was really slow, we took too many touches, delayed everything and we didn't mean it. That's what you get if you don't mean it, if you don't commit as hard as you have to in professional football, you'll get beaten.

“It's not something we've seen from this team so far. Especially in the early parts of games, I think we've started strongly. But we have to look at why we didn't do that today.

“The game was there for us after last week's performance, but we just didn't get going. There was an increase in intensity in the second-half but we didn't threaten their goal enough to get anything.

“We've had more possession and shots, but I don't think we've deserved to win it. We need a hard edge to us and to understand why we do what we do. We just didn't reach those levels today.”

He added: “I'm frustrated at a group of players who have done so well this season who have not got anywhere near their levels in previous games.

“We won't chuck the baby out with the bath water, I'm not thinking they're bad players, I'm not that reactive, but I don't think it was good enough to win any game of football at any level.”