AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Forest Green Rovers

Terry Brown says Wimbledon were lucky to get away with a draw as struggling Forest Green came close to wrecking their unbeaten home record.

Two goals against the run of play lit up a poor game at Kingsmeadow – and the manager was not happy with his side's showing.

Rovers came into the game having lost their previous five Blue Square Bet Premier matches and were there for the taking.

But the manager knew it could have been a lot worse for Wimbledon in the end, despite Crawley again winning to pull that bit further away.

“If one side was going to win it, it was Forest Green,” Brown said. “It was a very disappointing performance, probably our worst of the season so far and it is very frustrating.

“We need to have more mental strength to grind games like that out I think.

“Overall we were very poor. We stopped doing the basics and left the pitch feeling very sorry for ourselves. Can we be without all these players and continue to win and play well? It's a massive ask.

“We are too young to perform and win week after week. Young sides are notoriously inconsistent and we were that today.

“I won't single out players but there were some very poor performances out there today. But I haven't read them the riot act. I have just said to them that we didn't do enough and you have to be mentally strong. To get out of this league that's something you can't do without.”

Rovers went ahead after a flurry of early Dons corners.

Ben Watson wasn't given a hard enough time by Wimbledon left-back Andre Blackman, and he got away to fire low into Seb Brown's bottom corner.

Ryan Jackson's solo effort and a Blackman long-ranger came close to levelling but Forest Green didn't sit back and defend their lead, almost twice doubling the advantage with the hosts shaky.

Yet like against Cambridge on Wednesday, the Dons got their opener when on the back foot.

It arrived after 68 minutes, Christian Jolley curing his shot to perfection for his second goal in four days.

Sammy Moore, getting into great scoring positions, is still not producing in front of goal. He wasted Wimbledon's best chance of a winner following a burst into the box by substitute Rashid Yussuff.

James Bittner preserved the point but Forest Green could too have won it – and that frustrated their manager Dave Hockaday in the final ten minutes.

“We're actually disappointed about this result,” he said. “Yes, Wimbledon have had the possession but we have had the best chances by far. I don't think 2-0 would have been unfair.”