Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson on the AFC Wimbledon win

Kristian Dennis’s goal, after Callum Guy’s first for the club had been cancelled out by Ayoub Assal, earned the Blues a 2-1 win at Brunton Park.

And Simpson said that, while United’s performance was not necessarily free-flowing, their attitude and fighting spirit were exemplary.

“It was brilliant – the players stood up to it and stuck together, and the fans stuck with us as well,” the manager said.

“On Tuesday I thought the performance was really good and we should have won at Mansfield. This was a different kind of performance where they’ve had to roll up their sleeves and dig in, and scrap for everything.

“We probably had one incident where we didn’t defend well, but the emergency defending, challenges at the end, covering round, Jordan Gibson covering round in that right-back position, Omari Patrick tracking back…all of those things, for me are the sort of things that breed team spirit, and especially when you come out with a victory with it.”

Paul Simpson, left, with coaches Gavin Skelton and Paul Gerrard (photo: Barbara Abbott) (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Guy ended his long wait for a goal with a wonderful strike shortly before half-time.

It was his first Football League goal in 146 games – 97 of which have been in a United shirt.

Simpson was delighted for the midfielder and said: “It was a brilliant goal.

“I was joking at half-time when I said, ‘Is that your first goal?’ – and he said, ‘It is, actually, yeah…’

“I was just realty happy to see us hit the target. I’m sick to death of the amount of times we keep missing the target. Brilliant for him. I keep telling them all to chance their arm, get round the edge of the box and you never know what might happen.

“It’s that old thing that if you don’t buy a ticket you won’t win the raffle. He’s bought his ticket, he’s had a go and it’s a great goal for him.

“I always think the first’s the hardest. Once you get that you can go on a roll. Let’s hope he’s going on a roll like Denno is.”

Dennis’s late header was his seventh in nine games as he keeps up his impressive start to the campaign.

It was the perfect response after the frontman had missed a great chance in the goalless draw at Mansfield Town four days earlier.

Kristian Dennis headed United's winner (photo: Barbara Abbott) (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Simpson said: “I’m quite sure he’s had many of those moments as a centre-forward, but he doesn’t shirk it. He doesn’t hide away.

“He got himself back in there and it was a lovely little finish for him. He knows where the goal is – that’s that goalscoring knowledge he has.

“There were other things I thought he did really well – he gets himself in front of defenders, he’s a pest, he drops in deep and picks things up and links it.

“I think he’s had a really good start to the season on top of the goals he’s scoring. Hopefully he just keeps getting better.

“It's a reward for him for coming back as fit as he did at the start of pre-season. He’s come back in real good shape and he’s continued to work hard and do the stuff he needs to.”

Simpson felt Carlisle’s other defenders should have covered better when Wimbledon’s Josh Davidson beat Paul Huntington to a long ball and set up Assal to equalise.

The manager also explained why he declined to use any of his subs to get United back on top – instead making tactical changes with the players on the pitch, involving Jon Mellish moving from defence to midfield, and Omari Patrick and Jordan Gibson moving to left and right respectively.

“I felt the players who were out there, with a little bit of an adjustment, could actually make a difference,” he said.

“I felt I would have been changing just for the sake of it [with subs]. That’s not me being disrespectful to the lads on the bench, it was just the way I felt about it.

“I knew Kristian Dennis was running himself into the ground, but just felt he could get us free-kicks, he might win some things in that final third, and he also has the potential to score.

“Jordan Gibson is capable of doing some little bit of magic, Omari I thought was better and looked a bit more like himself as he’s getting fitter and fitter, and the two midfielders were doing ok.”

Simpson, meanwhile, was scathing about some of the refereeing from Andy Haines, who controversially denied United a penalty for handball, and also declined to send off Wimbledon sub Harry Pell for a dangerous challenge late on.

Ayoub Assal scores Wimbledon's goal (photo: Barbara Abbott) (Image: Barbara Abbott)

“I’ve no idea why [it was only yellow],” he said. “In the last two games we’ve had two horrendous tackles. I thought a tackle on Jordan Gibson was a really bad tackle, and I thought that was a bad tackle [in this game] as well.

“I can’t really talk about them, because I don’t think he’s been very good, the referee.

“The big one I thought was just an absolute joke of a decision…he gives the drop-ball in the middle of the pitch, and he actually bounces the ball so it comes up for their defender just to launch it into the box, to a 6ft 9in centre forward, who’s causing chaos.

“The referee may as well have just put a Wimbledon shirt on and had a game for them in that instant.

“I don’t know. I don’t think he was very good, that’s all I can say.

“I can’t really comment about the penalty, the handball. I go off players’ reactions. Every single one of our players in that vicinity are going to him appealing about it.

“I don’t know what they see. At the corners…they [Wimbledon] defended like good old fashioned Italian defenders used to where they were all over our players like a rash.

“He stops the game three times to warn them for grabbing and holding. But doesn’t do anything about it. We probably should have a penalty for one of those.

“He’ll probably go home tonight and think he’s had a great game. Good luck to him.”