Match preview: AFC Wimbledon (H)

24 September 2021

Take a look at Town's match preview ahead of AFC Wimbledon's visit to Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Shrewsbury Town are back in Sky Bet League One action this weekend, looking to build on their 1-1 draw away to Sheffield Wednesday last time out. AFC Wimbledon are this week’s visitors to the Montgomery Waters Meadow, with the Dons enjoying a great start to their league campaign. Mark Robinson’s side currently sit seventh in the league table and are so far enjoying their first season back in front of a packed-out Plough Lane since their move back to the ground at the beginning of last season.

As previously mentioned, Robinson’s side have made an excellent start to their league campaign and seem to be a much-improved side to the one that finished 20^th in the league last season, just one place above the relegation zone. The Dons have so far only lost two of their opening eight league games this season, at the hands of promotion candidates Sunderland and Plymouth Argyle, the latter who they lost to last weekend 1-0. Salop also lost to the latter side back in August when Argyle walked away from the Montgomery Waters Meadow Meadow 3-0 winners on the day. Impressive wins against Portsmouth, Oxford United and Morecambe which saw a 95th-minute winner from Ayoub Assal has seen the London-based side put any early relegation fears to bed.

While Salop have had a whole week to prepare for this fixture, the Dons only have three days to prepare for the game as they come into this one on the back of their midweek defeat in the Carabao Cup away to Arsenal. evening.

Name: AFC Wimbledon

Re-founded: 2002 (19 Years Ago)

Chairman/Owner: Joe Palmer

Biggest Win: 9-0 vs Slough Town, Isthmian League Premier Division, 2007.

Biggest Defeat: 5-0 vs York City, Conference Premier, 2010.

Highest League Finish: 15^th, Sky Bet League One, 2015/16

One to Watch: Jack Rudoni

Having come through the club’s academy, Jack Rudoni made his first-team debut back in 2019/20 season and went on to make 11 appearances that season. Rudoni really broke onto the scene last season making 39 league appearances and scoring four goals along the way. The beginning of this season has seen Rudoni take his game to another level once again. He’s already scored three goals and provided one assist in eight appearances. He is currently Wimbledon’s top goal scorer this season.

Having missed the last two league games with a muscle injury, the 20-year-old made his comeback midweek, in the Carabao Cup fixture against Arsenal. He will be keen to kick on in the league where he left off before his injury and Salop will have a big task ahead of them if they’re to keep him quiet on Saturday afternoon.

Match Reports

Match report: Shrewsbury Town 2 AFC Wimbledon 1

25 September 2021

Shrewsbury Town's return to Montgomery Waters Meadow sees Town secure three points over AFC Wimbledon.

Goals from Luke Leahy and Daniel Udoh ensured that Shrewsbury Town came from a goal down to beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1 at Montgomery Waters Meadow on Saturday afternoon.

In what was an end-to-end first-half, it was the visitors who took the lead following Salop's free-kick error in the 32^nd minute. Elliot Bennett was dispossessed on the edge of the Wimbledon box which allowed the away side to counter quickly. Luke McCormick played through Dapo Mebude, who was one-on-one with Marko Marosi in the Salop goal, slotted a fine finish into the bottom right corner.

Steve Cotterill’s side wasn’t short of chances and could have taken the lead after seven minutes when a shot from Shaun Whalley was parried by Nik Tzanez, then falling to the feet of Ethan Ebanks-Landell but his effort was fired straight at the keeper.

Salop finished the half brightly and got their equaliser after 41 minutes when Leahy rose highest from an Elliot Bennett cross to head the ball over Tzanez to make it 1-1. The goal changed the momentum of the game and Shrewsbury nearly took the lead two minutes later when the ball fell to Whalley inside the Wimbledon box, who left unmarked fired a shot straight at Tzanez.

The second half was more of the same with both sides trying to break on the counter and both sides having large spells on the ball at times. The away side had a good chance to take the lead just after the hour mark when an Aaron Pressley header forced Marosi into a good save down to his right-hand side.

But Salop got their lead on 67 minutes when substitute Udoh made a near-instant impact, out-jumping several Wimbledon defenders, latching onto a Leahy cross heading home to make it 2-1 in what was a near-identical goal to the home side's first.

Despite a bombardment of Wimbledon attacks in the closing stages, the visitors failed to create a clear-cut opportunity as Salop stood strong and managed to see out the game and claim a valuable three points.

The teams:

Salop: Marko Marosi, Luke Leahy, Ethan Ebanks-Landell, Matthew Pennington, Aaron Pierre, Shaun Whalley, Sam Cosgrove (Daniel Udoh, 64), Josh Vela (George Nurse, 64), Ryan Bowman, David Davis, Elliott Bennett.

Subs not used: Harry Burgoyne, Nathanael Ogbeta, Tom Bloxham, Josh Daniels, Khanya Leshabela.

The Dons: Nik Tzanez, Alex Woodyard, Will Nightingale, Cheye Alexander, Anthony Hartigan (George Marsh, 68), Ayoub Assal, Dapo Mebude (Jack Rudoni, 70), Nesta Guiness-Walker (Henry Lawrence, 68), Aaron Pressley, Luke McCormick, Ben Heneghan.

Subs not used: Zaki Oulah, Daniel Coska, Ethan Chislett, Paul Osew.

Attendance: 5346

Officials:

Referee: James Bell
Assistants: Marvyn Amphlett and Oliver Bickle
Fourth Official: Matthew Smith