Stanley boss John Coleman hailed his side's two-goal opening salvo at Wimbledon as the best start his team have made in 27 years of management.

Stanley struck twice in the first 10 minutes to blow away the Dons and lay the foundations for a 4-2 win – their fourth consecutive victory in League Two.

Captain Joe Pritchard bundled home and Tommy Leigh netted a stunning 25-yarder with the visitors creating further chances to score in a scintillating start.

“I thought we were fantastic from start to finish,” said Coleman.

“I said to the lads at half-time, 27 years I’ve been managing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the team start like that. We were like rabid dogs. Everything I wanted from them today, they showed.”

Dons manager Johnnie Jackson made a triple substitution at half-time but 24 seconds after the restart, Pritchard made it 3-0.

Jackson got the desired response with Omar Bugiel’s brace seeming to set up a tense finish, but Brad Hills’ bullet header put paid to the comeback.

“In a perverse sort of way, it’s more character-building for us that they got us to 3-2. If that would have petered out to 3-0, our character wouldn’t have been tested,” Coleman continued.

“Our character was tested to the hilt and we’ve passed it with flying colours. They showed everything I wanted from them.”

It has been a turbulent week at the Wham Stadium, with owner Andy Holt announcing he is putting the club up for sale after a public spat with Coleman’s assistant, Jimmy Bell, over the renewal of coaching contracts.

“It’s not extra special (because of club being put up for sale), it’s extra special because you come away from home and win,” said the Stanley boss. “We’ve got the players believing in themselves and believing in each other.”