Jimmy McNulty salutes Stockport character after comeback win over AFC Wimbledon

Stockport manager Jimmy McNulty praised his side’s resilience after they came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon.

Goals from Jack Diamond and Ethan Ennis ensured the Hatters avoided a third game without a win after Jayden Stockley had put the visitors ahead shortly after half-time.

County remain two points behind leaders Huddersfield in second spot and McNulty spoke of his pride for his team’s never-say-die attitude.

“Whether I’ve benefited or not from previous work that’s been done here in that regard, I’m grateful if I have benefited from that,” he said. “But the group has shown it on a number of occasions and these games aren’t easy.

“I think with the way we’re playing football right now, there’s almost something stronger than an expectation that we should bowl these teams over and score lots and lots of goals. It doesn’t work that way unfortunately – I’d like it to.

“With the first-half performance we truthfully could have been 3-0 up and we could have been sailing off into the sunset with what we thought would be a victory at that point.

“But it wasn’t to be. [It was] 0-0 because we weren’t able to hit the target as many times as we would have liked to in the first half, if at all.

“We were stung (by Wimbledon’s goal), we reacted, we were very threatening in my opinion and even once we’d reversed the scoreline, I think we could have gone and sealed it with more.”

Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson was left to rue his side’s failure to build on the winning position they had put themselves in.

He said: “They’re a very good team and it was hard for my team, but I think we gave them a proper game, stayed in it for long periods where we were having to defend and then we got ourselves in the game.

“We scored and I think we were really in the ascendancy at that period of the game where we probably needed to go and get a second.

“Then they hit back, they make the changes that they can make from the bench – they make a big difference to them – and they get in front.

“And then we sort of chased it and had moments again. We had a great chance at the end to maybe get a point, so I’m disappointed we haven’t.”

The Dons have dropped one place in the table to 18th having now gone seven league matches without a win, but Jackson is encouraged by recent displays.

“I’m pleased the performance level is miles better,” he added. “The last two performance levels have been a lot better.

“We’ve looked more like a Wimbledon team, but we want to pick up points as well.”