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

Pete Wild's men fell to a 1-0 loss to Harrogate Town in their most recent contest, while the visitors were defeated by the same scoreline at home to Crawley Town.

Match preview

A pragmatic approach leading to low-scoring contests previously served Barrow extremely well, as Wild's side embarked on a five-game unbeaten run before miserably failing to make it six during a visit to 20th-placed Harrogate Town.

With 74 minutes gone at Wetherby Road, substitute Matty Daly struck the only goal of the contest for Harrogate, who made Wild's 200th career game as a manager one to forget, and even the Barrow boss admitted that the contest was a "stinking" one.

Wild sympathised with fans who paid to watch that "rubbish" defeat, although Barrow's unbeaten streak could still be alive had Billy Waters not missed a sitter in front of an open goal late on, and Barrow's playoff task just got that little bit more difficult.

Now occupying 10th place in the League Two table, the Bluebirds have a seven-point gap to make up to Salford City in seventh place, but 38 goals scored across the season is the worst tally in the top half of the rankings.

Only eight goals have been scored across Barrow's last eight games of football, and the hosts have only netted three times in their last eight home matches, but Wimbledon's confidence tank is hardly at full capacity either.

Pulling no punches after the full-time whistle, Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson admitted that not enough of his players are "stepping up to the plate" after their winless streak stretched to 10 matches with a 1-0 loss at home to Crawley last Saturday.

Ashley Nadesan scored the game's only goal on the six-minute mark to condemn Wimbledon to defeat, and while Jackson was able to take encouragement from his side's previous performances, there was little for the Dons boss to feel optimistic about last weekend.

Any hopes of an immediate return to League One are dead and buried for the visitors, who are now languishing in 17th place in the standings, albeit safely 12 points clear of the relegation zone as they go in search of their first victory since January.

Nadesan's strike for Crawley stretched Wimbledon's run without a clean sheet to seven matches, while their six-game scoring streak also came to an end during a dismal afternoon, and not since December have the Dons managed to clinch all three points on the road.

Josh Gordon put Wimbledon to the sword in a 1-0 win for Barrow back in August, but the Dons' only previous showdown on their hosts' turf in the 2020-21 FA Cup ended in a 4-2 penalty-shootout win following a goalless draw in their first-round tie.

Barrow League Two form:

W

W

D

W

D

L

AFC Wimbledon League Two form:

L

L

L

L

D

L

Team News

Only missing the one player due to international call-ups, Barrow will have to make do without centre-back Sam McClelland, who has been summoned to the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad.

However, the Chelsea loanee was withdrawn at half time against Harrogate as Wild opted for a change of shape, and a four-man backline could be fielded from the off given McClelland's absence.

Missing an open goal would prove to be Waters's final act in a Barrow shirt, as the striker has now left for Wrexham, while Elliot Newby is yet to recover from an ankle injury and will miss out again.

As for Wimbledon, Jackson once again bemoaned his side's rotten luck with injuries after last weekend's loss, where Aaron Pierre and Will Nightingale both shook off knocks to pair up at the heart of defence.

Pierre - who represents Granada - is one of three Dons players on international duty, though, with striker Ali Al-Hamadi called up for Iraq and right-back Chris Gunter forming part of Wales' coaching staff.

Centre-backs Paul Kalambayi and Alex Pearce remain out alongside Harry Pell and Diallang Jaiyesimi, while Lee Brown and Josh Davison will need assessing closer to kickoff.

Barrow possible starting lineup:

Farman; Feely, Canavan, Ray, Brough; Gotts, Foley, Whitfield; Garner, Gordon, Kay

AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:

Tzanev; Biler, Nightingale, Ogundere, Currie; Little, Woodyard; Pearson, McAteer, Chislett; Janneh

We say: Barrow 1-0 AFC Wimbledon

With their attacking threat nullified by Crawley, a Wimbledon side still beset by injuries and international call-ups should not snap their dampening winless run at Holker Street.

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