AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson felt his side gifted Northampton the opening goal in a 2-0 defeat at Plough Lane.

The Dons had just started to grow into the game when Jon Guthrie’s header somehow squeezed past Nik Tzanev’s legs before rolling agonisingly into the net.

The hosts pushed for an equaliser, but it was 2-0 in the 69th minute when debutant Ryley Towler bundled Ali Koiki’s cross into his own goal.

And having started the game well, Jackson felt his side handed the impetus to the visitors by conceding such a soft opener.

He said: “We have missed chances again, and then we have given them a lead.

“We gifted them a lead which obviously changed the complexion of the game and that made it difficult from there.

“Both boxes are costing us at the minute.

“The ball has just slipped through his hands, and it is just a bit of a freak thing.

“Tzanev’s a good keeper and he is disappointed to concede a goal like that.

“The conditions were obviously tricky, but, you know, he would expect to deal with a situation like that.

“So, we gifted them a goal and gave them a lead when I felt we were very much on top during that period of the game.

“It’s a tough one to take really.

“I thought we were the better team in the first half and that we created more opportunities, but we haven’t put the ball in the net in those moments where we were in the ascendancy in the game.”

Northampton manager Jon Brady was impressed with his side’s ability to deal with a surprisingly direct Wimbledon side.

He said: “Obviously, they changed their shape completely. We thought they may go to that before the game, but we prepped for another shape.

“And then because of the way we pressed them, they went very direct.

“I think because they are under the pump in terms of points, they feel the pressure, so they went long and direct.

“They landed on a lot of things and pushed us back to be fair, but they got no real shots on target.

“There was a bit of a storm tonight and we had to weather that as well, but then in the second half we came out and I felt we controlled the game.

“To do that, I felt, was really professional from us.

“We talked about what we needed to do tactically at half-time to stop their threats, and I felt we really did do that.

“I’ve got to say the fans behind the goal really drove us on, they didn’t stop, so we are so appreciative of their support.”