AFC Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley has revealed the men behind Saturday’s solid defensive performance, and it was not just the back four.

The Dons were too strong for struggling York City running out 3-1 winners at Bootham Crescent, and recording consecutive wins in League Two for the first time this season.

Adebayo Azeez, Lyle Taylor and Tom Elliott got the goals that would lead to the Minstermen’s manager being sacked in the aftermath of defeat.

The three points lifted the Dons to 12th in the table, three points off the play-offs ahead of this weekend’s visit to the Cherry Red Records stadium of Hartlepool.

Ardley said: “Today was probably the most complete back for performance we’ve had, but I am delighted with the all-round performance.

“[Neil] Cox and Alan Reeves have worked very hard with the back four this week, using video and on pitch training, and the guys have really embraced it – so they deserve a lot of credit for that. A clean sheet would have topped it off.

“Some of our play going forward was excellent, the work rate of the midfield and the front men, the finishes we’ve taken – that’s the bedrock and that’s what’s got us the result, so we’re delighted with the all-round performance.

“You cannot come away from home and not work hard, and the front two were exceptional in their work-rate, the back four worked really hard on what they’ve done this week – and it all means the midfield can express themselves.”

Ardley always insists that he never looks at the league table, but that does not stop him believing he knows where they should be in the standings.

“We’ve been thinking we can get into the play-offs all season, that has not changed,” he said.

“I don’t look at the league, you just try to accumulate the points and keep going.

“We believe we should be in that top half challenging for the play-offs and that will always be the aim until the last game of the season.”

The Dons lost Sean Rigg to a dead leg, which Ardley believes wil not keep him out of action for long, while Adebayo Akinfenwa, who missed the trip to York with a thigh injury picked up in training, is more a of a concern.