Aiming to strengthen their position in the top three of the League Two table, AFC Wimbledon will welcome Barrow to the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts moved into the automatic promotion spots with a win last time out but only lead fourth-placed Doncaster Rovers on goal difference, while their visitors have climbed back up to 17th spot with a three-match unbeaten run.
Match preview
AFC Wimbledon return to action on Saturday aiming to strengthen their League Two automatic promotion bid with a second straight victory, having moved back into the top three last weekend.
Following 21st and 10th-placed finishes over the last two campaigns, they have enjoyed an impressive season under the management of Johnnie Jackson, staking a strong claim to return to England’s third tier having amassed 63 points from their 37 outings thus far, with no other side in the division having conceded as few as the 26 goals they have allowed.
The Dons gave their hopes a major boost in a nine-match span between late December and mid-February, winning six and drawing three, but they would go on to prevail in just one of their next six attempts, ending a four-game winless run by beating fellow promotion-chasers Notts County 2-0 on home turf earlier in March.
That was followed by a 10th league defeat of the season, as Jackson’s men were beaten 2-1 at home to Cheltenham Town, before they again bounced back on Saturday, visiting basement side Carlisle United and winning 2-1, having gone two goals ahead through Callum Maycock and Alistair Smith.
Having moved back up to third with that triumph, albeit only leading Doncaster Rovers on goal difference while trailing second-placed Bradford City by three points and leaders Walsall by six with nine games remaining, AFC Wimbledon will hope to strengthen their automatic promotion hopes on Saturday with a 19th league win of the season and a 13th on home turf.
They meet a visiting side who head to the Cherry Red Records Stadium aiming to extend a three-match unbeaten streak and climb up through the mid-table pack in the final run of the season.
In what has been a mixed fifth straight League Two campaign, Barrow currently find themselves 17th with 44 points on the board and 10 games remaining, with 16 of those points having come from 11 matches under the management of Andy Whing.
He took over in January, when they again sat 17th, and after a pleasing start under their new boss, the Bluebirds endured a run of three straight defeats last month, before bouncing back in style by beating Notts County and Accrington Stanley 2-1 and 2-0 respectively back-to-back.
A trip to 23rd-placed Morecambe then followed on Saturday, and after trailing 2-0 to the 10-man hosts at the interval, Whing’s side were able to snatch a share of the points as Robbie Gotts halved the deficit on the hour mark and Tyler Smith levelled the game at two goals apiece 17 minutes from time.
Having now dropped back down a spot to 17th, and seen their momentum slowed in that disappointing draw after the hosts’ 28th-minute red card, Barrow will now aim to make it four games unbeaten and bounce back to winning ways with 16th-placed Newport County and 15th-placed Swindon Town within reach.
Team News
AFC Wimbledon could be unchanged from last week’s 2-1 away victory over Carlisle United, with midfielder James Ball remaining sidelined by an injury.
Sam Hutchinson, Joe Lewis and Ryan Johnson will continue in a back three, while Alistair Smith, Callum Maycock and Jake Reeves should all keep their places in the engine room, with Smith and Maycock having scored their goals on Saturday.
Mathew Stevens will lead the line and look to end his seven-match wait for a 17th league goal of the season, with only two players in England’s fourth tier topping his tally.
Barrow will remain without defender Theo Vassell, who is confined to the treatment room.
Emile Acquah, who is level with Vassell at the top of their scoring charts on six goals for the season, and Connor Mahoney will both compete to come into the attack, after Tyler Smith, Aaron Pressley and Ben Whitfield lined up in a front three in last week’s draw with Morecambe.
Robbie Gotts and Kian Spence are mainstays and will continue their partnership in the engine room.
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Goodman; Hutchinson, Lewis, Johnson; Neufville, Reeves, Maycock, Smith, Furlong; Stevens, Bugiel
Barrow possible starting lineup:
Farman; Foley, Canavan, Williams; Mahoney, Gotts, Spence, Newby; Smith, Pressley, Acquah
We say: AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Barrow
AFC Wimbledon battled their way back to winning ways last weekend and are well versed in picking up victories from close encounters, particularly at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
We back them to again come out on top at the weekend and strengthen their automatic promotion bid.
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