Neal Ardley was left to rue lapses of concentration after AFC Wimbledon twice surrendered the lead in their 3-2 defeat at home to Yeovil on Saturday.

A Jack Compton hat-trick – featuring a 45-yard free-kick that sailed straight over James Shea’s head – ended the Dons' run of four straight wins and dented their play-off hopes.

Poor defending throughout – allowing Liam Walsh the space to find Compton for the first and Callum Kennedy’s unnecessary foul to give away a penalty for the third – ultimately cost the Dons and drop to 10th in the League Two table.

Ardley said: “For the first goal we’ve let someone run from outside to inside right between us and that’s poor.

"We work every day of the week on how we play narrow if teams get between the lines."

He added: “Their lad should never score from a free-kick 45 yards out on the touchline, and their third goal is a lazy penalty.

"You defend if somebody’s beaten you, you don’t give away a penalty and it’s cost us the game unfortunately.”

The Dons have struggled at home all season, but have lost only two games on the road, a problem Ardley said was commonplace across the league.

“It’s hard for the team at home, the onus is on them, the team away can come and say, ‘This is what their strengths are, let’s set up and make sure they’re nullified’, and then we’ve got to find a different way.

"At this level, that can be hard, to find different ways.”

He added: “When they step across the white line, we are all as one, we’re a team from staff through to the players, but it’s difficult.

"The opposition sometimes come and try and nullify what you’ve got, particularly the teams down there struggling, and we haven’t found the answers.”