Mathias Kouo-Doumbe was delighted after his first goal of the season helped the Dons record a 2-0 win over Swindon Town on Tuesday evening.
The experienced centre-half nodded home Jon Otsemobor’s cross in the 58th minute to put the Dons ahead in last night’s crucial clash against the sixth-placed Robins, before Ryan Lowe’s finish secured the points late on.
The result lifts the men from MK1 into ninth place in League 1, just four points adrift of the play-offs, and afterwards, Kouo-Doumbe was full of praise for the way he and his team-mates performed against a strong Swindon side.
Speaking after the game, the 33-year-old Frenchman said: “It was a good performance from everybody. Swindon made it difficult for us but we showed great spirit and in the end I think we deserved the win.
“They didn’t create much to be fair. They came out in the first 20 minutes and tried to press us but because we managed to play it around them a few times they decided to sit back which allowed us to play our normal game. After that we limited them to long balls into the box and very few chances but it also allowed us to hit them on the break which we did on numerous occasions.
“Late on they moved their centre-half up front and given their height advantage we knew we’d be in for a difficult last few minutes but we managed to deal with that really well. We’ve been really strong at the back the last few games and everyone’s been putting in good defensive performances, including the midfield.”
Kouo-Doumbe’s goal ten minutes into the second-half, his first of 2012/13, means the former Paris Saint-Germain trainee keeps his record of scoring in every season since joining the Club and the 32-year-old was understandably delighted with his finish.
“Semy’s played a ball in on the half-volley and I knew I had an advantage on the defender and I put the ball in the only place I could put it. As soon as the ball left my head I knew it was in because the goalkeeper was nowhere to be seen.
“Then of course Ryan Lowe came on as a substitute and scored the second goal so that was positive to see too.”
Kouo-Doumbe and the Dons will now regroup and prepare for another tough fixture this weekend away at Leyton Orient, who sit one place below the Dons on goal difference.
A win on Saturday could see the Dons close the gap on the play-offs even further with both Swindon Town and Sheffield United going up against each other and Kouo-Doumbe is confident the Dons still have a chance of recording a third-straight top six finish.
“We’ve always believed we can reach the play-offs and we always will until it’s mathematically impossible. Of course, this win makes it a little closer for us to reach and we’re certainly back in the race.
“We just need four big performances now, until the end of the season to get there. There’s still a long way to go and we need to make sure we show the same sort of spirit we’ve shown in the last few games against the likes of Leyton Orient, Colchester and Scunthorpe and hopefully we’ll come away with the points.”
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