Dons' defensive approach was a case of needs must for Tisdale

Fleetwood finally broke Dons' resolve in the 85th minute when keeper Lee Nicholls dropped the ball at the feet of Ched Evans to tap home the winner. Until that point, Dons looked like getting only their second point in eight games.

Now on their worst run in the club's history, Dons drop to just a point above the League One relegation zone.

Although the tactic against Fleetwood came within five minutes of working and earning his side a point, Tisdale admitted it was not an ideal situation to have to defend for an entire game.

"We were close enough to get a point, and we wanted to nick it in the last 15 minutes, it just didn't work out," Tisdale said.

"When you set up to play the way we played today, which is not the stuff of my dreams but the practical way to do it today, you invite pressure but we dealt with it well for 85 minutes. It seems like a really tough way to lose it.

"We're at the point where we have to commit to something in a game, and at Rochdale we were in between. We took on a very good team today, and I considered that the best thing to do.

"The players bought into it and tried really hard. We're short of confidence, but we seemed comfortable with it. It's a really difficult one. I feel sick. They put a big shift in. All we can do it regather and go again."