‘As clear as day’ – AFC Wimbledon boss disappointed with late referee call in Colchester draw

Johnnie Jackson has expressed his frustration over a controversial late refereeing decision that denied AFC Wimbledon all three points in their 1-1 draw against Colchester United on Saturday.

The Dons boss believes referee Richard Eley was wrong to award a last-minute free-kick to the hosts, which led to the dramatic equaliser at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Browne’s first goal for Wimbledon put them ahead

AFC Wimbledon had looked set to claim another valuable victory in their push for automatic promotion, with Marcus Browne scoring his first goal for the club in the 39th minute. The former Oxford United playmaker capitalised on a well-worked move to give the Dons the lead going into halftime.

Jackson’s men appeared to be holding firm despite late Colchester pressure, but the match took a decisive turn in the 89th minute when referee Richard Eley awarded a controversial free-kick against Wimbledon’s Josh Neufville.

The controversial late free-kick and Colchester’s equaliser

With Colchester pushing for a last-gasp equaliser, Jack Payne made a surging run into the Wimbledon half. As he looked to create a goal-scoring opportunity, he went down under minimal contact from Neufville, and Eley blew for a foul, much to the disbelief of Jackson and his players.

From the resulting set-piece, Payne delivered a precise ball into the box, where Samson Tovide rose highest to send a powerful header past Alex Bass, ensuring that Danny Cowley’s side salvaged a late point at home.

Jackson: ‘It’s not a foul, I’ve seen it as clear as day’

Speaking after the match, a frustrated Jackson did not hold back in his assessment of the referee’s decision.

“I’m gutted to concede so late and only get a point,” Jackson said. “I thought the boys were digging in. We looked like we were going to see it out – we normally do in that scenario.”

However, his main frustration stemmed from the free-kick decision that led to Colchester’s equaliser.

“I’m a bit disappointed with the goal because it’s not a foul. Josh won the ball – I have just seen it as clear as day. He comes out of the tackle with the ball and the referee gives the free-kick.”

“We know it’s coming into our box – Payne has good quality and delivers a good ball. We have been done by one, which doesn’t happen often. I don’t think it was a foul in the first place.”

Despite the setback, Jackson acknowledged the difficulty of the fixture and emphasised the importance of taking a point away from home.

“We have to take it on the chin today. It’s a hard place to come – you can leave with nothing. To come and put in a better performance than we did at Fleetwood and nearly leave with all three points is a hell of a result. We take the point, and it could be a good one.”

AFC Wimbledon’s unbeaten run in 2025 continues

Despite the late disappointment, AFC Wimbledon remain unbeaten in 2025 and continue to occupy an automatic promotion spot. Their resilience and ability to grind out results will be crucial in the race for promotion, and Jackson will hope his side can quickly move past this setback as they look ahead to their next fixture.