The injury time defeat to Charlton Athletic “won’t define” AFC Wimbledon’s season, insists Wally Downes, as they fight to survive relegation from League One.

Igor Vetokele played the role of super sub as he came off the bench to score the winning goal in the 91st minute at the Kingsmeadow.

His first goal of 2019 – and third in 15 appearances – denied the Dons a crucial point as the division’s bottom club are now seven points adrift from safety.

Downes bemoaned his team’s “wrong decisions” in the defeat, and said: “It was just disappointing to see us sort of veer from the way we played in the first half.

“We still battled and we were okay but sometimes when you’re preaching to play a certain way, forward and wide, as we did today [against Charlton], to see it not done is galling.

“When you’re down at the bottom and things go against you, if you make mistakes that’s why you’re down at the bottom.

“If you make bad decisions, and you make mistakes at set-plays and you get punished, then you finish up in the lower half of the division.

“Charlton at home is not going to define our season, we've now got two or three more games with teams in and around us and we go again on Saturday [away to Shrewsbury Town].”

The defeat comes after a Joe Pigott-led Wimbledon defeated Rochdale 4-3 away from home in midweek, their second on the bounce.

But Oxford United’s win away to Blackpool, coupled with Bristol Rovers and Rochdale’s respective defeats, means the gap has increased.

After visiting last year's playoff hopefuls Shrewsbury Town they will take on two teams who are sixth and seventh at the time of writing - Doncaster Rover and Peterborough United.

And five of their following eight are against teams in the bottom half of the division.

Wimbledon still have time to move off the root of the table, however, it will need to come with consistent wins – and fast.