Neal Ardley was keen to manage expectations following Toyosi Olusanya’s debut winner against Newport on Saturday.
The academy graduate rose from the bench to first earn and then score the only goal of an entertaining game from the spot to send AFC Wimbledon into next Saturday’s play-off semi-final first leg against Accrington with all-important momentum.
The youngster, a star of the club’s FA Youth Cup campaign this season, produced pace and trickery in an eye-catching cameo, but Ardley was at pains to urge fans not to expect too much too soon from his diamond in the rough.
“The young lad won’t forget his debut,” he said. “Today has been great for him and given him a taste of what might be out there.
“But we have to be careful. He is a talented boy who did brilliant in the FA Youth Cup. He only came into the academy this year as an unpaid scholar through an academy we have got a link with and they have done a great job.
“He’s exciting, he’s quick, he can ghost past people, but he’s raw and needs work, so we must be very, very careful.
“Hopefully he will go with Alan Reeves (U21 boss) next year and ‘Reevesy’ as he always does will drill into these boys what is expected and he can carry on progressing.”
Olusanya might have stolen the headlines, but there were other positives on an afternoon where a win was something of a bonus ahead of the end of season knockout phase.
In the absence of the rested Lyle Taylor and Tom Elliott, veteran striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, who turns 34 tomorrow claimed the man of the match award for probably his best performance of the campaign – one capped by offering Olusanya the chance to take the penalty which should have been his.
Meanwhile, at the other end, James Shea made two fine saves in his first appearance since Kelle Roos joined on loan from Derby in January.
“Positives from today were the performances of Adebayo (Akinfenwa) and James Shea, who were immense, said Ardley.
“James was back to his best of last season and ‘B’ up there was unplayable.
“I look at that and if I was our other two strikers I would be looking going wow.”
There was mixed news though on the injury front ahead of a momentous week for the club.
Jake Reeves sailed through the 90 minutes in his comeback from his latest hamstring scare, but there was concern over Connor Smith, stretchered off and taken to hospital for scans on a neck injury after a first-half clash of heads with Newport’s Lenell John-Lewis.
“We were confident with Jake as we’d had him scanned, so we got him through training, made sure he was strong from it and then the intention was to get the edge back on his game from getting him back playing,” Ardley added.
“With Connor, there was no concussion, so let’s hope scans show there is no damage and no injury and by the middle of next week he is back in training with the squad.”
