Ardley rues Dons' defending at Pompey

Ben Close took advantage of Jon Meades' error to give Pompey the lead against AFC Wimbledon. Picture: Joe Pepler

Ben Close’s late first-half strike and Brett Pitman’s 72nd-minute penalty delivered Kenny Jackett’s troops a Boxing Day victory against the Dons.

Academy product Close took advantage of a sloppy pass from Jon Meades to sting home a 25-yard shot, while Pitman converted his spot-kick after being shoved in the back by Barry Fuller.

Lyle Taylor’s penalty had got the visitors level on 50 minutes after Christian Burgess was penalised for handball.

Kingsmeadow boss Ardley admitted his frustration in the manner Wimbledon conceded at Fratton Park.

He told the club’s official website: ‘I am really frustrated.

‘I gave the players a team-talk about where they were going to hurt us. We know what Portsmouth’s strengths are and what Kenny’s teams are like. They don’t give a hell of a lot away and keep a lot of clean sheets.

‘We felt that they would not open us up and that our mistakes and set-pieces would be the danger and that’s what happened.

‘At 44 minutes into a game, you should clear your lines, get in at half-time and talk about where you go from there.

‘Instead, we tried to dribble out and then a square pass is intercepted and three seconds later it’s in the back of the net.

‘That’s not good game-management, it’s school-boy stuff, and it’s disappointing. It had been a fairly even game up until then.

‘At the start of the second half, we worked hard to get back into the game, upped the tempo, and clawed ourselves back in it. I could not see them scoring again after we got back to 1-1.

‘They were bringing on different types (of players), but I still felt we dealt with it.

‘Then a deflected cross comes into the box and we give away a silly penalty.

‘If you push people in the box, you are going to give away a penalty. If you challenge for a header in the box, you make it hard for him, you use your body.

‘My first instinct, without seeing it again, is that it was a push in the back. When the ref has already given a penalty that was, but it was soft, there is every chance he is going to give the next one.’