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

The home side managed to salvage a 1-1 draw against Bradford City last time out, whereas Wimbledon will be desperately searching for an elusive victory after losing out at Doncaster Rovers on the weekend.

Match preview

After going on a five-match run without defeat in February, Newport have struggled to kick on, proceeding into March without a win in three attempts this month.

The Exiles have struggled to bounce back after their consecutive losses against Sutton United and Salford United, drawing 1-1 against Grimsby Town and Bradford City in their last two outings.

A Liam Ridehalgh own goal was enough to seal a point for the home side last time out, as the Port failed to convert their shots into goals in this affair, leaving them comfortably clear of the relegation zone sitting 18th in the League Two standings.

Graham Coughlan's outfit are set for another season of mid-table mediocrity in England's fourth tier this season after a disappointing campaign last time out saw them finish 11th in the league.

That was a gradual decline from the season beforehand, when they landed themselves in the playoff final, being brutally denied entry into the third division through an extra-time penalty against Morecambe.

Meanwhile, one win since the beginning of the calendar year for Wimbledon has seen their season take a nosedive, plummeting down the league table into 15th position.

Another loss against Doncaster on Saturday has lumped further pressure onto the shoulders of Johnnie Jackson, with his side conceding four defeats in a row and having lost from a winning position in their last outing, as Josh Davison's early strike was cancelled out by Harrison Biggins and George Miller.

The visitors come into this fixture with a worrying dip in defensive form, having conceded 12 goals in their last five games, a stark contrast to the six clean sheets that they kept in the 10 matches beforehand.

It seems it will be another season to forget for The Dons after their relegation from the third tier last campaign, with a mid-season collapse shattering any chances of a late bid for a playoff position.

The away side will need a better performance here than in the reverse fixture, as Newport took advantage of a red card back in December to take a point on the road, and were more likely to win the match.

Newport County League Two form:

D

W

L

L

D

D

AFC Wimbledon League Two form:

D

D

L

L

L

L

Team News

Coughlan is not likely to make any changes to the side that he deployed in the draw against Bradford last time out.

Calum Kavanagh is an option to pair Omar Bogle up top if he recovers from the hamstring strain which saw him miss out against the Bantams, but it is probable that Charlie McNeill will once again be preferred in the role, while Offrande Zanzala is expected to miss out again due to a shoulder injury.

Declan Drysdale is nearing a return from his knee surgery, but this match will come too soon for him.

There is also reason to believe that Jackson will name an unchanged XI for this clash despite the loss to Doncaster on the weekend.

Wimbledon did look more defensively convincing in their last performance with the change of formation to a back three and will likely remain in this system.

Newport County possible starting lineup:

Day; Baker, Farquharson, Demetriou; Norman, Charsley, Bennett, Moriah-Welsh, Lewis; Bogle, McNeill

AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:

Tzanev; Nightingale, Pearce, Pierre; Marsh, Woodyard, Little, Currie; Chislett; Hamadi, Davison

We say: Newport County 1-1 AFC Wimbledon

Both sides will be fired up for this affair, as it is a close matchup that could be used as a platform for either side to springboard off and finish the season on a high.

However, we believe that Newport will be frustrated to a third consecutive draw, while Wimbledon's record without a win will extend to nine games.

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