AFC Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley cut a furious figure in the aftermath of Dons’ 2-1 defeat at Stevenage on Saturday.

The result leaves Dons 12th in the League Two table, six points off the play-offs.

With the match all-square, after George Francomb had cancelled out Tom Pett’s opener, the hosts took the lead from a disputed penalty.

Dons debutant Adedeji Oshilaja clashed heads with a Stevenage striker, and the referee pointed to the spot.

However, it was a subsequent Dons penalty shout that was not given that had Ardley exchanging views with referee Graham Horwood.

Ardley said: “The penalty against us was a brave call by the ref, and I cannot say it was not a penalty.

“There’s two players going up for a header, one does not even know the other is there.

“He jumps, he tries to head the ball and they clash heads, it happens all over the park.

“It wasn't a foul, it's not like he caught him late with a bad tackle. He's watching the ball and they've clashed heads.

"It doesn't surprise me that it was given - it was a brave call to do it.”

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He added: “The second one, we’ve put a ball down the side, our player is trying to receive the ball, the defender is not even trying to hold him up, he just pushes into his back, sending him to the floor, just so he can let the ball run out.

“Our players were fuming because one penalty has been given and one hasn’t.

“The ref books Barry [Fuller] and I tell the ref how I feel. He comes over, and like a school teacher he tells you what you have to do, sit down, shut up, and you have to put up with it and deal with it, but it’s frustrating because we want to win.

“That’s the way the game went from the first to the last, and unfortunately we’ve lost a game because of it."

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