AFC Wimbledon midfielder Peter Sweeney had to swallow a bitter-sweet pill in the wake of Thursday night’s 2-2 League Two draw with Port Vale.

In front of the Sky cameras, the Dons had roared into a 2-0 advantage over the league leaders thanks to Jack Midson’s brace.

But Sweeney, in only his second appearance since joining from Bury, and his team-mates were pegged back by the Valiants, and eventually had to hang on to claim a solitary point.

Most galling was the manner of the Valiants' equaliser, which came from a woeful backpass by skipper Mat Mitchel-King.

Sweeney said: “If we’d been offered a point before the game we would have definitely taken it but even so, we’re a little bit disappointed having gone 2-0 up. We were more than comfortable at that time.

“Their first goal was not a bad strike and he caught Sully off guard a bit. There were plenty of bodies between the shot and the goal, but our luck at the moment means it has gone straight through and found the bottom corner.”

He added: “The second goal was disappointing, it’s a mistake and that happens in football.

“Vale are top, and we’re struggling, so that is always going to happen so when you go 2-0 up. Sometimes teams are not used to going to 2-0 up and it is how you deal with that that matters.”

The draw, while extending the Dons’ unbeaten run to four games, was not enough to lift Neal Ardley’s men out of the bottom two – but Sweeney sees nothing but survival come the end of the season.

“We’re learning, we’re unbeaten in four and we look strong and as if we’re not going to be beaten in games,” he said.

“Their goal just before half-time was vital to them. Timing of goals can win games – I have been in teams plenty of times where you’re 2-0 down, you scored just before half-time and then you go on to win it because the other team is deflated.

“But Neal got us up again at half-time, got us pumping and told us what we had to do – but it was a sloppy second goal. But we dug in and the hard work everyone put in cannot be faulted.

“Towards the end, everyone was putting their body on the line to preserve a point. Maybe a few months we might have caved in, but you can see the confidence is coming back – and we’re confident we can get out of this.”