The rescheduled matchday 9 fixture between AFC Wimbledon and Crewe Alexandra in League Two will take place this Tuesday at Plough Lane.
Originally scheduled for October 1, 2024, the game was postponed due to the Dons' Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle United, which was rearranged for the same date.
Match preview
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Taking place later than initially planned, the supposed first league meeting of the season between the sides now comes just two weeks after what should have been the return fixture.
That encounter at Gresty Road ended in a 1-1 draw, with the Railwaymen striking first through Jamie Knight-Lebel before Josh Neufville restored parity on the brink of half time.
Since then, the Wombles edged Bradford City 1-0 at home before battling to a goalless draw at Accrington Stanley, where both sides lacked cutting edge, with the visitors producing the only shot on target from 18 combined attempts.
That result extended Wimbledon's unbeaten streak to eight matches, consisting of four wins and four draws, leaving Johnnie Jackson's men fifth in the standings with 49 points, three behind third-placed Doncaster Rovers, who have played two games more.
A win on Monday would propel the Wombles into the automatic promotion spots, courtesy of their superior goal difference over Rovers, but to achieve that, they must break a curious trend in this fixture, with all five of their most recent meetings ending in draws.
The Dons can take confidence from their formidable home record, having won nine of their 14 league outings at Plough Lane, including the last three without conceding, making them the third-best home side in the division.
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Meanwhile, Crewe have proven to be a tough nut to crack on their travels, suffering the joint-least away defeats (3) and collecting 22 points from a possible 45, making Lee Bell's side the sixth-best travellers in League Two.
Their resilience stems from a solid backline, which has shipped only 12 goals on the road, the second fewest in the division.
However, the Alex arrive at this fixture having suffered a humbling 3-0 home reverse against Newport County, a result that stretched their winless run to four matches, comprising two draws and two losses.
That setback saw them slip out of the playoff spots, leaving Crewe eighth in the standings with 48 points from 12 wins, 12 draws and six defeats, trailing seventh-placed Salford City on goal difference.
The visitors can take confidence from their most recent success in this fixture, a 3-1 triumph at Gresty Road in April 2022 — the last recorded victory between the sides — as the Railwaymen push to break into the top seven.
Team News
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Wimbledon remain without long-term absentees Ethan Sutcliffe, James Ball, Callum Maycock and Ryan McLean as they continue their respective recoveries from injury.
Meanwhile, 35-year-old midfielder Sam Hutchinson has missed each of the last three matches with an abductor tear and could be sidelined once again.
The league's joint-third top scorer, Matty Stevens, who has 13 goals to his name, may return to the starting lineup after featuring from the bench against Accrington.
Crewe, on the other hand, have been hit by injuries to key players, with captain Mickey Demetriou and forwards Chris Long and Omar Bogle set to miss a second consecutive match after sitting out the previous fixture.
As a result, Bell may opt to stick with the one-man attack deployed last time out, with Shilow Tracey leading the line as he looks to end a 14-game goal drought.
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Goodman; Ogundere, Lewis, Johnson; Neufville, Reeves, Smith, Furlong; Stevens, Bugiel, Kelly
Crewe Alexandra possible starting lineup:
Marschall; Knight-Lebel, O'Riordan, Williams; Cooney, Sanders, Holicek, Conway; Tabiner, Powel; Tracey
We say: AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Crewe Alexandra
Both teams enter this clash seeking vital points to fuel their promotion push, but we are backing Wimbledon for a narrow win, given their strong home form, having won their last three outings at Plough Lane.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
