Jamie Walker 'plays on the edge' as Bradford City manager Mark Hughes absolves him of sending-off blame

The Bantams have now just two wins in their last seven league games.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men after 60 minutes when Jamie Walker was sent off for a second bookable offence after a pair of late challenges.

Hughes said: “We can’t be too disappointed with the circumstances of the game. At half-time I said to Jamie that he needed to be careful, he needed to understand there was potential for that desire to damage the team.

“He plays on the edge, that’s why we love the way he plays – it is very difficult to take that edge away from him. Unfortunately, he got his timing wrong, and it was clearly another yellow card.

“He is an experienced player and should have done better in that situation.”

Hoping to revive a promotion push, Hughes handed on-loan Burnley forward Dara Costelloe his Bradford debut but the youngster failed to make his mark.

“I think he did OK and we are pleased that he is with us,” said Hughes, who revealed Costelloe’s involvement was a late decision.

The Dons are now unbeaten in their last six games at the Cherry Red Records Stadium and Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson credited the atmosphere for the recent run of impressive home form.

“It is a difficult place to come,” said Jackson, whose side have lost one of their last 13 league games.

“It is a partisan ground that gets behind us – they make it difficult for the opposition. We are always on the front foot here and we try to take the game to the opposition. I think you saw that today in a hotly contested game, we were trying to take it to them.”

AFC Wimbledon: Tzanev, Biler, Pearce, Kalambayi, Currie (Brown 86), Woodyard, Marsh (Al-Hamadi 67), Chislett, Pell (Little 78), Pearson (Senior 67), Davison. Unused substitures: Gunter, Broome, Sasu.

Bradford: Lewis, Halliday, Platt, Crichlow-Noble, Foulds, Smallwood, Costelloe (Sutton 59), Gilliead (Songo'o 82), Walker, Eisa (Nevers 81), Oliver (Cook 77). Unused substitutes: Doyle, Chapman, Pereira.

Referee: B Toner (Lancashire).