Luton Town 3-0 AFC Wimbledon
Terry Brown says his Wimbledon side must get better on set pieces after being comfortably beaten by Luton Town tonight.
The Dons are still top but Steve Evans' Crawley will steal the leadership should they beat Gateshead at home on Saturday afternoon.
Wimbledon got camera shy as they switched off twice inside the first 38 minutes at Kenilworth Road.
The game was broadcast live on Premier Sports - but it was a video nasty for Brown as the Hatters strolled to victory.
First, Luton captain George Pilkington somehow escaped Ismail Yakubu from Andy Drury's 23rd minute corner.
Then, from a long throw, two Dons players couldn't beat Zdenek Kroca to the ball and it was 2-0. Keeper Seb Brown suggested he was impeded by Shane Blackett but the goal stood.
Steven Gregory hit the crossbar as the visitors almost grabbed a perfect response.
Then Danny Kedwell was denied by the face of Luton keeper Mark Tyler before half-time after Claude Gnakpa's error eight yards out.
But there was no way back once Wimbledon got in a muddle from their own throw four minutes after half-time. Impressive Taiwo Atieno played in Matthew Barnes-Homer and the England C striker found the bottom corner.
Sam Hatton's free-kick was the closest the leaders came to breaking back but manager Brown knows his side were second best.
He said: "We couldn't cope with the direct play from their throws and their corners and that's the frustrating thing from our point of view.
"Luton hardly had to work for their goals tonight. And to stand a chance coming here you have to press them and make very few mistakes - like we did last season in the two games and got four points.
"We were sloppy at key times but we didn't give up. We carried on playing our football. We should have scored at least one and their keeper has had a great game.
"We opened them up but it just wasn't meant to be. If we would have got the simple things right in our own box it may have been a different story but we have to be stronger from set plays.
"It's the difference and Steve Evans will now know just what he and his Crawley side have to do against us on Thursday night."
His opposite number, Richard Money, felt his side were worthy winners as they close the gap and move up to third.
"I though once we got our first goal we didn't look back," he said. "It's a noteworthy win because Wimbledon are a very good side - they'll challenge for promotion so to win how we did was pleasing."
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