Neal Ardley reckons his AFC Wimbledon players executed his Boxing Day plan to the letter to beat 10-man Portsmouth.

The Dons were 2-0 winners thanks to goals from loan rangers Frankie Sutherland and Matt Tubbs and were helped over the line by the dismissal of Dan Butler.

They made a dream start and Fratton Park and Ardley was particularly pleased with the way his team dealt with the inevitable Pompey onslaught in response.

Ardley told Dons Player. “From the moment that we went 2-0 up we had to defend our box.

“We knew that we would have to defend well for 15 minutes after half-time, but I thought that to a man we were excellent.

“We played a different shape because I thought that would be the best way to win the game.”

Sutherland, who is on loan at Wimbledon from QPR, produced a Christmas cracker to break the deadlock and Ardley knew it was heading in from the moment he took the shot.

He added: “I was right behind Frankie’s shot and as soon as it left his boot I thought it was going in. It was a great goal.

“Frankie did exceptionally well for us when he first came in, but he just got tired with the step-up from playing Under-21s football.”

Sammy Moore was absent for the game at Pompey due to illness.