Neal Ardley is hurting after being “kicked in the proverbials ” following AFC Wimbledon’s disappointing defeat to League Two strugglers Dagenham & Redbridge.

The Daggers had started the evening bottom of the table, while the Dons were looking to force their way into the play-offs.

However, the form books were turned on their head late in the second half when Jamie Cureton’s ball into the area was spilled over the line by the Dons keeper Ben Wilson.

The 1-0 win lifted the Daggers out of the relegation places, while the Dons, who had been unbeaten in five, slipped to three points off the play-offs.

Ardley told Dons Player: “I still don’t know how we lost the game, but perhaps the biggest beef for me is that we did not quite do enough to win it.

“If we had our quality and end-product in the final third we would have put them to the sword.

“I don’t think they even had what you would class as a shot on goal and we have lost 1-0. The worst that we would have expected was to come away with a 0-0.

“The goal we conceded was riddled with ridiculous things that would not happen if we tried it nine or 10 times again. As a manager, I have to take the flak.”

He added: “We had gone five unbeaten in the league and we were thought that we were doing a lot of good things, but then we have found out that football does kick you in the proverbials.”

The Dons are back in action on the road this weekend with a trip to Leyton Orient – where they will face former Dons favourite Sammy Moore.

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