AFC Wimbledon first team coach Simon Bassey has paid tribute to the loan players who helped preserve the club’s League Two status.

The Dons, under Terry Brown and Neal Ardley, employed the services of 14 loan players over the season – some were misses but, according to Bassey, most were hits.

And Bassey is not ruling out further dips into the loan market for the coming season, as the pros can far outweigh the cons.

Three loanees – John Sullivan, Jon Meades and Gary Alexander – played pivotal roles in the final day win over Fleetwood, something Bassey believes confirms they, and those that preceded them, were giving their all for the Dons cause.

He said: “Permanent signings are better than loans, no doubt. “But the thing about loanees is you can sometimes get better quality than you could normally afford as you might only have to pay half of their wages.

“It is swings and roundabouts – if you use the loan system right, it can work well for you.

Your Local Guardian: Here we go: Gary Alexander's header leaves Fleetwood keeper Scott Davies stranded to give the Dons the lead Deadlinepix SP73108

Loan star: Gary Alexander heads AFC Wimbledon ahead in the vital last day win over Fleetwood     SP73108

“On the other hand, you don’t want a team infested with loan players because there is always the worry they don’t care as much as the contracted players.

“But most of last year’s loanees had a great attitude and were committed. They were a credit to themselves and their parent club.

“Yado [Mambo] did well and George [Francomb, pictured] did well. Jake [Reeves] was excellent for us, and we were disappointed when he had to go back to Brentford early.”

The departure of Sullivan to Portsmouth and Meades to Oxford United was a further disappointment to Bassey, but he understands the players’ reasons for moving on.

Your Local Guardian: Jon Meades

Sadly missed: Jon Meades departure to Oxford United is "part and parcel of football" says Bassey    SP73102

However, he also believes the time when players flock to the Dons is just around the corner.

“Players leave, that’s part and parcel of football. We took on Meades and Sullivan and they did a fantastic job. They were a massive part of us staying up,” he said.

“But they are both young men and have to look after themselves financially.

“I would like to tell you that it was for £10 more that they went down the road, but it wasn’t the case.

“But I have been here 11 years and every year there’s a clear out.

“Hopefully, if we can get the recruitment right, we can start building a squad that is for more than a year.

“Our aim this summer is to put a team together that is not going to change and will and push us higher.”

Meanwhile, Luke Moore’s new contract with the club has been agreed in principle, although while both Ardley and Moore remain on holiday, nothing has yet been signed.