Johnnie Jackson: AFC Wimbledon manager warns 'no one is coming to the rescue' as winless run hits 11 games

AFC Wimbledon appointed Johnnie Jackson in the summer following a 28-match winless run to end last season

AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson has urged his injury-hit squad to rise to the challenge as their winless run stretched to 11 games on Saturday.

The 2-1 defeat at Barrow also means the Dons have picked up just one point in their past seven League Two games.

Wimbledon last year suffered relegation from League One but this term have an 11-point cushion to the bottom two.

"No one is coming to the rescue, we've got a lot of boys out, so people need to step up," Jackson said.

The Dons had taken a fifth-minute lead at Barrow as Luke Jenkins marked his league debut with a goal but the hosts turned it around in the second half.

"It's where we are as a squad. There's no point hiding away from the fact that we've got nine senior players sitting at home injured that, in those moments, could make a difference," Jackson told BBC Radio London.

"We are a young team and that's what happens - we don't get that second goal and we could be punished.

"We ended the game with two lads, just out of the youth team, playing up front and a makeshift back four, and that's just where we are at as a squad. That much is obvious.

"We looked like a really good team with a really good shape about us but that isn't going to help me sleep at night because we want results and we haven't got that again.

"It hurts because I know exactly where I want to take it and we've been dealt a cruel hand, but we are where we are and we have to find a way to fight through it."

Three managers in three months

Former Charlton defender Jackson was appointed manager in the summer after Mark Robinson was sacked following an 21-match winless run, with Mark Bowen handed the final seven games of last season on an interim basis.

That appointment failed to inspire a resurgence and the south west London club ended the campaign without a win in 28 matches in total dating back to 7 December 2021.

Despite a below-par performance in the 1-0 home defeat by Crawley in their previous match, Jackson believes there are still signs for optimism and the team are close to registering that elusive win.

"I think you can see it's there on the pitch. Apart from last Saturday, when I openly said we were poor, in this run of games where we haven't picked up wins we've shown moments of being a really good side," Jackson added.

"We have done it again with a makeshift team. We managed to frustrate and be the better team for long periods but walked away with nothing so it doesn't make me feel any better, but I can see there's stuff to work with and on and people have to step up."