Connolly's honesty is costly for Wimbledon

Stuart Murdoch, the Wimbledon manager, believes his striker David Connolly was punished for being too honest as his team's unbeaten run came to an end with a 3-2 defeat against Derby County in the Nationwide League First Division match at Pride Park on Monday night.

The Republic of Ireland forward appeared to be caught by the Rams' goalkeeper, Lee Grant, in the first half but Connolly somehow stayed on his feet. Murdoch said: "If David had gone down he gets a penalty, the goalkeeper is sent off and the game changes. If he falls over the referee gives a penalty but he's honest and wants to score. But if it's a foul, it's a foul, and I find that hard to take."

However, Murdoch also admitted that his team's poor defending had allowed Derby to bounce back from Neil Shipperley's eighth-minute opener. Murdoch said: "I was exceptionally annoyed at the way we gave them the second goal. It's been a problem over the last eight weeks or so, we haven't kept a clean sheet now for 14 games and it's just not good enough and the players know that."

Wimbledon were also convinced that Derby's equaliser should have been ruled out as Malcolm Christie added the final touch from an offside position. John Gregory, the Derby manager, admitted: "From the remonstration of their defence it suggests it was well offside."

Gregory also criticised his team's defensive play. "I thought we were pretty dreadful at the back and we lost our way in the first half," he said.

But there was good news for Gregory in Craig Burley's comeback after a year out of the game through injury. The Scotland international midfielder played for 69 minutes and Gregory said: "I was just glad to get Craig back out there on the pitch. He came through it OK and he's got the ability to pass the ball."

It was Burley who delivered the 17th-minute corner that Steve Elliott headed down and the ball went in off the thigh of Christie.

Connolly should have restored Wimbledon's lead in the 29th minute but he struck a post from six yards and he wasted another great chance in the second half. By then, Derby had taken the lead after Deon Burton looped a header over Kelvin Davis. Derby got a third 10 minutes from the end when substitute Lee Morris turned sharply before firing into the corner.

Connolly finally found the net two minutes from the end when he was left unmarked to head in a Jermaine Darlington cross but by then it was too late for Wimbledon to preserve their seven-game unbeaten run.

Derby's relief at winning three points was soured when Gregory revealed that Fabrizio Ravanelli will be out until the new year. The 33-year-old Italian striker had an operation yesterday on the Achilles tendon problem which has prevented him from playing since August.