Croatia
Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Preview: AFC Wimbledon vs. Crawley Town - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 18 February 2024, 22:09
AFC Wimbledon will be bidding to recover from a recent stumble when they continue their League Two campaign at home to Crawley Town on Tuesday night.

The home side will enter the contest off the back of a 1-1 draw with Morecambe, while Crawley beat relegation-threatened Forest Green Rovers 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Match preview

AFC Wimbledon are eighth in the League Two table, boasting a record of 12 wins, 11 draws and nine defeats from their 32 league matches this season to collect 47 points.

Entering the final straight, the Dons are in a strong position to challenge for the playoffs, sitting just one point behind seventh-placed Harrogate Town, but they will need to find a run of consistency.

Indeed, Johnnie Jackson's side have only managed to win one of their last four league matches and one of their last five in all competitions, which was a 2-0 success over Barrow on February 10.

AFC Wimbledon will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Morecambe on Saturday, with Omar Bugiel sending the hosts ahead early in the second period before Chris Stokes levelled the scores.

The Dons have won seven of their 15 home games during the 2023-24 campaign, losing just four, and they will be welcoming a Crawley outfit with just four away league wins to their name this term.

Crawley, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a much-needed 2-0 success over Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, with Danilo Orsi and Klaidi Lolos on the scoresheet.

The Red Devils had been on a five-game winless run in all competitions entering the match, demonstrating the need to collect all three points against a side in the relegation zone.

Scott Lindsey's side are currently 15th in the League Two table, boasting a record of 13 wins, four draws and 14 defeats from 31 matches to see them collect 43 points.

Crawley, who finished 22nd in League Two last season, have no relegation fears this term, and they are only five points outside of the playoff positions at this stage of the campaign.

The Red Devils beat AFC Wimbledon 1-0 in the corresponding match last term, but they suffered a 2-1 defeat when the two teams met in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

AFC Wimbledon League Two form:

L

W

D

W

L

D

AFC Wimbledon form (all competitions):

W

L

D

W

L

D

Crawley Town League Two form:

W

L

L

L

D

W

Crawley Town form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

D

W

Team News

All five of AFC Wimbledon's changes in the latter stages of Saturday's contest were tactical decisions, so head coach Jackson has no fresh injury concerns for this match.

Some bumps and bruises will need to be assessed, but the manager could potentially keep faith with the side that took to the field for the first whistle of the 1-1 draw.

Bugiel has scored seven times in League Two this season and is again set to lead the line for the hosts.

As for Crawley, there is likely to be a change in an advanced area on Tuesday, as Lolos's capped a strong performance off the bench with a goal, so he is now likely to be included in the first XI.

Head coach Lindsey is set to keep select a 3-4-3 formation once again, with Lolos potentially operating to the left.

Orsi has been comfortably's the team's main source of goals this season with 14, and the 27-year-old will again lead the Crawley line on Tuesday night.

AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:

Bass; Ogundere, Balmer, Brown, Currie; Tilley, Ball, Little, Curtis; Kelly, Bugiel

Crawley Town possible starting lineup:

Addai; Ransom, Conroy, Wright; Tsaroulla, Williams, L Kelly, J Kelly; Lolos, Orsi, Darcy

We say: AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Crawley Town

AFC Wimbledon and Crawley finished 21st and 22nd respectively in League Two last season, so there has been huge improvement from both this term, and we are expecting a tight match on Tuesday, but AFC Wimbledon should just have another quality to secure a vital three points.

Previews by email

Top News

25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa midfielder Emiliano Buendia may reportedly make the switch to Leeds United during the January transfer window. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Bromwich Albion have confirmed that Carlos Corberan has left the club to become the new manager of Valencia. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah could hit yet another new Premier League goalscoring milestone when the Reds host Leicester City in their Boxing Day battle at Anfield. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has lost captain Sam Morsy to suspension ahead of Friday's Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal temporarily begin life without Bukayo Saka when Ipswich Town arrive at the Emirates for Friday's Premier League showdown. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The curtain closes on the festive round of Premier League fixtures at the Emirates Stadium, where title outsiders Arsenal and relegation candidates Ipswich Town lock horns on Friday evening. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Is there a more satisfying sight in football than a sweetly-struck volley ripping into the back of the net? 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City must beat Everton on Boxing Day and end their dire form considering they face a relatively unthreatening opponent, Steven McInerney of Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The January transfer window is almost here and clubs around the UK and Europe are lining up moves as they look to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler is close to welcoming back many first-team players ahead of the visit of Brentford to the Amex on Friday. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Brentford to the Amex in one of two games being played after Boxing Day in the Premier League. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham will attempt a 45-year winless run when they face West London neighbours Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Erling Haaland is preparing to leave Manchester City in the summer, with the Norwegian expressing dissatisfaction behind the scenes, according to reports. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final match on a jam-packed Boxing Day in the Scottish Premiership will come from the SMISA Stadium in Paisley, where St Mirren will be playing host to Rangers. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming for a fourth consecutive League One victory at the New York Stadium, Rotherham United welcome Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, keen to secure maximum points in gameweek 22. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid forward Rodrygo reportedly down a lucrative offer from Manchester City in the summer to stay in Spain. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Boxing Day brings us a bottom-half clash in the Scottish Premiership with Dundee set to take on a struggling Ross County at The Scot Foam Stadium at Dens Park. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In a promotion 'six-pointer', Huddersfield Town are set to host Stockport County at John Smith's Stadium on Boxing Day in League One. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are supposedly likely to have the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani on loan in January after Bukayo Saka's injury. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two places separate Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership table heading into gameweek 19's Boxing Day derby at Tynecastle Park. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A stuttering Aberdeen will be hoping for some post-Christmas cheer when they travel to the BBSP Stadium Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Thursday. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As families up and down the country tuck into their turkey leftovers, 20 Premier League teams will be putting on a festive spectacle across December 26 and 27, including eight intriguing Boxing Day battles. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United will reportedly set an asking price of £40m for Marcus Rashford in the upcoming January transfer window. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Embattled St Johnstone will be aiming to end a four-match winless run as they welcome Dundee United to McDiarmid Park for a Boxing Day clash in the Scottish Premiership. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace are prepared to welcome Eberechi Eze back to their matchday squad for the Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Queens Park Rangers will head to South Wales for a Championship encounter against Swansea City on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The "resurrected" Gabriel Jesus should be Arsenal's first-choice centre-forward over the festive period after his pair of attacking masterclasses against Crystal Palace, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arguably the pick of the Boxing Day fixtures in the Scottish Premiership will see league leaders Celtic taking on fourth-placed Motherwell at Celtic Park. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham manager Marco Silva is facing an injury crisis in midfield ahead of their trip to West London rivals Chelsea in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Noni Madueke will be hopeful of a start when Chelsea welcome West London neighbours Fulham to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Boxing Day.