Preview: AFC Wimbledon vs. Accrington Stanley - prediction, team news, lineups

Just one place separates the sides heading into this one, with both aiming for promotion this season after making respectable starts.

Match preview

Wimbledon can not lay claim to being one of the more entertaining sides in League Two, as they have now gone 354 minutes since their last goal.

Omar Bugiel's early winning goal at Harrogate Town at the start of the month is still the last time Johnnie Jackson's men found the net.

They have made up for it by being tight in defence though, as the Dons have conceded just once in their last four outings.

Six clean sheets from their opening 14 games is a fine record, but their recent scoring woes have seen Wimbledon drop out of the top seven.

There is no cause for concern just yet though, as the tight-knit nature of League Two means they are still just a point behind their upcoming opponents, who come into the fixture one place above them in that final playoff spot.

In what is a remarkable league table, just 10 points separate fourth from 20th, so virtually the entire league is still in with a realistic chance of fighting for promotion.

Accrington came away from this fixture with three points, earned in a thrilling manner as they won 4-3.

That continued a recent tradition of goal-laden encounters between these two sides, as the last three meetings have produced 15 goals.

John Coleman's side also enter this midweek set of games in a rich vein of form too, having won four games in a row in all competitions.

That has seen them catapult up the standings into the playoffs and put them on the verge of the EFL Trophy knockouts.

Accrington's chances of making an immediate return to League One after last season's relegation were improved after Saturday's 1-0 win over MK Dons.

That was the second straight game in which Stanley kept a clean sheet, and another win here would be their 10th of the campaign already, and if other results go their way, a victory could move them level on points with the automatic promotion places.

AFC Wimbledon League Two form:

W

W

W

D

L

D

Accrington Stanley League Two form:

L

L

D

W

W

W

Accrington Stanley form (all competitions):

L

D

W

W

W

W

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Team News

Wimbledon were able to welcome both Ryan Johnson and Harry Pell back to the matchday squad in their 0-0 draw with Barrow on Saturday.

Connor Lemonheigh-Evans just missed out on being fit in time for that one, and he could make his return here.

Ali Al-Hamadi also made a comeback at the weekend after he was away representing Iraq on international duty, finding the net against Jordan.

Accrington extended the emergency loan spell of goalkeeper Jon McCracken on Friday, meaning the Norwich City man will stay for another seven days.

McCracken has been brought in because of the injury to Toby Savin, who is taking longer than first anticipated to return to first-team action.

Seamus Conneely was an unused substitute at the weekend as he makes his return from injury, but Liam Coyle, Seb Quirk and Sean McConville remain sidelined.

AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:

Bass; Ogundere, Lewis, Johnson, Currie; Tilley, Reeves, Little, Neufville; Al-Hamadi, Bugiel

Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:

McCracken; Mellor, Rich-Baghuelou, Hills, Longelo-Mbule; Martin, Woods, Pritchard; Nolan, Andrews, Whalley

We say: AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Accrington Stanley

The fact that Wimbledon's previous four league games have produced just two goals suggests another cagey encounter could be on the cards, but both teams have scored in eight of the last nine head-to-heads.

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