Johnnie Jackson baffled as AFC Wimbledon miss 'crazy' chances against Chesterfield

The Spireites scored early through Armando Dobra and that was enough for them to bag their third league victory on the spin to take them up to fifth in the table.

Town were the better team in the first 45 but Jackson’s men struck the post twice in quick succession after the break and were denied a late equaliser when Max Thompson made an incredible save from Joe Pigott in stoppage time.

“We have done everything in the second-half but score,” Jackson said. “I don’t know how I am sat here talking about a 1-0 defeat. It is a tough one to take with the way we played in the second-half. For one of the (chances) not to go in is crazy really with the way we have opened them up. But that’s football. (Luck) was on their side there. We have done enough to win the game. A draw would have been a good point here on the road. The way we have played in the second-half is outstanding but we haven’t put the ball in the net. We were lax at the start and not quite accurate with our finishing in the second-half.”

Chesterfield were quick out of the blocks, a bit of a rarity this season, and they took the lead when Dobra volleyed in Liam Mandeville’s cross.

"The bit that is on us is the sloppy start to the game where they get in front,” Jackson explained. “Ultimately that has cost us today and that hurts because for 60-70 minutes we were the dominant team but we leave with a defeat. It is frustrating.

"Chesterfield started well, credit to them, that can happen here, they are a good team, you have to weather the storm and went a goal behind and they were on top in the early part no doubt about it. They started great and we were off it. They were winning second balls, duels and causing us a few problems. We started to get to grips with it in the last 15-20 minutes of the first-half, I felt like we had weathered their good start, and we were well in the game.”

The visitors somehow hit the woodwork with two successive shots before Thompson reacted sharply to parry from Pigott’s close-range effor with seconds remaining.

Jackson addeded: "I thought we were brilliant in the second-half. We ended the first-half better, we didn’t play well, but we ended the first-half a lot better. And then we have come out in the second-half and completely dominated the game. To hit the post twice and for the keeper to pull off an unbelievable save, we have peppered their goal without getting one. It just didn’t happen for us today for whatever reason.”