“We didn’t lay a glove on them”: Lewington on Dons’ defeat to Charlton

Dean Lewington felt MK Dons were second best in every department in their 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic last night.

Jack Payne scored the only goal of the game on 61 minutes to end Dons’ seven-match unbeaten run, though other relegation scrappers losing ensured Mark Jackson’s men remain three points above the drop zone with three games left to play.

In a game low on quality from both sides, Lewington felt Charlton were gifted control of the game thanks to a sub-par performance from himself and his team-mates.

“I don't feel like we laid a glove on them,” said Lewington. “They're an awkward team to play against, and off the back of their result on Saturday, they came with a new sense of purpose and played well at times, but we were a yard off it all over the pitch.

“It was difficult, we were playing a bit deeper and they were finding space. It put us on the back foot and we looked a bit ragged. But it didn't help that when we did win it back, we were giving it away so cheaply, we were then out of position and it went around in a circle.”

It took Dons almost 40 minutes to get their first shot away in the game, and with only a handful of chances actually testing keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Jackson said his side needed to be braver when it came to chancing their arm.

And Lewingtin echoed the sentiments of the head coach, adding: “We get to certain areas and just overplay. There were times where we only had one person in the box but six in a ring around it. You've got to commit numbers and put bodies in the box. We wanted it too much in to feet at times.

“Sometimes you need people running in behind and gambling, but we just didn't do that. The quality was off, we couldn't get into a rhythm.”