Match Preview: Wimbledon (H)

After coming so close to defeating Brentford on Tuesday night, we return to league action this Saturday when we welcome Wimbledon to Rodney Parade.

Despite defeat on Tuesday, the team will feel boosted by the fact that they took a Premier League side to a 1-1 draw and are still undefeated in normal time at Rodney Parade this campaign. 

Our 3-1 victory over Sutton last weekend has given the gaffer plenty of positives to think about, and the return of Omar Bogle to fitness has been a huge boost to the squad. 

Will Evans was rested on Tuesday night and the gaffer will hope to have him back in contention for Tuesday’s game.

Manager’s Comments 

"Johnnie has come in and he's done brilliantly at the football club (AFC Wimbledon). I think it'll be another good game, another very physical encounter, we're fully expecting that." Explained Graham.

"We just need to concentrate on ourselves, but we are anticipating a tough encounter tomorrow."

You can watch the full pre-match press conference with Graham Coughlan here.

Opposition Form 

Like ourselves, Wimbledon have denied a lot of doubters with their start to the season, and they are one of only three unbeaten teams left in the division after five games. 

The last three games for Wimbledon have actually been incredibly similar to ours. The Dons were narrowly defeated by Premier League opposition in the week, going down 2-1 in a losing effort to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

In the league, they have, like ourselves, faced Forest Green and Sutton United in the last two. The Dons were denied a win at Forest Green by Troy Deeney’s first goal for the club, with the game ending 1-1, but they were able to carve out a big win against Sutton United, with three late goals from Ryan Johnson, Harry Pell, and James Tilley securing a 3-0 away win. 

James Tilley has been Wimbledon’s key threat so far this campaign. The striker joined from Crawley in the summer and has hit the ground running, netting four goals and grabbing one assist in his first five appearances for the club. 

Ticket Info 

Ticket prices for Tuesday’s game are as follows: 

You can purchase tickets online here. 

It is possible to purchase tickets for Saturday’s game on the day, though match-day prices will increase by £2. 

Last Time Out 

We last welcomed Wimbledon to Rodney Parade in March this year, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw despite a strong performance from the Exiles. 

Ali Al-Hamadi handed the visitors the lead with a composed finish into the bottom corner five minutes into what was a frustrating half for Newport. 

Harry Charsley, a man who was on the score sheet for us last weekend, stepped up to give us a thoroughly deserved point in the 69th minute. A scramble in the box as the result of the corner saw the ball fall to Charsley's feet, with the midfielder expertly smashing it into the roof of the net.

Head to Head 

Our first encounter with AFC Wimbledon was the opening game of the 2008/09 season with Wimbledon defeating us 4-1 in the National League South. Our next three games against the club would end with two draws and a defeat. Our first Football League encounter with the team ended in a 2-1 defeat in 2013, and our first victory would come the following season: a dominant 4-1 win at Rodney Parade. Our overall record against The Dons is two wins, six draws, and five defeats, something we will look to improven upon this Saturday. 

Played for Both 

There are several popular players that have lined up for both Newport County and AFC Wimbledon over the years. One of the most popular will be Lee Minshull. Minshull was instrumental in helping both Newport and Wimbledon return to their rightful home in the Football League. 

Minshull joined Wimbledon in 2010 and was instrumental in helping them achieve promotion in the 2010/11 season. He would come off the bench for Wimbledon in the play-off final and would appear at Wembley two years later for County in the our own play-off final victory. 

After signing for us in 2012, he would go on to make 116 appearances for us over the course of three seasons. 

Another popular player that appeared for both is defender Darren Jones. Jones was born and raised in Newport and had two spells with us. Between those spells, he played for multiple clubs, including make 18 appearances for Wimbledon in 2014. He would rejoin us in the 2016/17 season, making 48 appearances and hitting the net once. 

More recently, Anthony Hartigan would spend time on loan at Rodney Parade. He made 11 appearances during his time with us. He made a much more significant impact at Plough Lane, playing for The Dons 118 times.