AFC Wimbledon v Southend United
Last updated : 30 December 2011 By exiledessexboy
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SHRIMPERS
The Essex boys will be without suspended trio Liam Dickinson, Peter Gilbert and Bilel Mohsni.
Despite the scoreline in the floodlight farce at Aldershot was wiped out ahead of the rearranged fixture, all yellow and red cards still stand, which means Dickinson now serves an automatic one-match suspension at Kingsmeadow.
But Southend have been further punished by a ruling which sees the suspensions served by Gilbert and Mohsni at Aldershot now void due to the game not being completed!
That means the pair, who were due to complete their respective one-match and two-match bans on Boxing Day, will now do so against the Dons.
Skipper Chris Barker (calf) will again be assessed having been ruled out of the last two matches, with coach Graham Coughlan, 37, again on standby as he looks to make his 500th career appearance.
Blair Sturrock, whose contract comes to an end Tuesday, could be making his last appearance in a Shrimpers shirt.
As for the rest, Ryan Hall has to come back, forgive and forget Luggy, and we may well see a rare start for Neil Harris, so the ball should be kept on the ground against a giant defence, look at Oxford's first on Monday, cut them up straight down the middle with fast and axxurate passing, way to do it lads.
Four successive defeats against four successive defeats, something's gotta give, a goalless draw? 2-0 Blues!
Possible Southend United: Daniels, Clohessy, Barker (or Coughlan), Phillips, Prosser, Kalala, Grant, Ferdinand, Timlin, Harris, Hall.
Subs: Morris, Coughlan (or Woodyard), Leonard, Sturrock, Asante.
COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!
OPPOSITION
AFC Wimbledon could be boosted by the return of Christian Jolley.
Six-goal striker Jolley has played just once in the last month due to a hamstring injury but is back in training and pushing to be involved.
Winger Kieran Djalili continues to be sidelined with a hamstring injury and on-loan West Ham defender Callum McNaughton remains a doubt with a knee problem.
Therefore boss Terry Brown will have to stick with the bulk of the side which slipped to a fourth straight defeat when they were beaten 2-0 at home to Oxford on Boxing Day.
The Dons have not found the net in their last three games and have tumbled to 17th in the table.
AFC Wimbledon promoted to the Football League
Recap of last season
Wimbledon secured promotion from the Blue Square Bet Premier in the most dramatic fashion, winning a penalty shoot-out against Luton in the play-off final to secure their return to the Football League after 9 seasons. Danny Kedwell, club hero and captain scored the winning penalty but has since moved to boyhood club Gillingham.
Personnel in
After a lengthy Twitter marathon and excellent summer blog, Jack Midson has joined the ranks and will be hoping to be the man to fire the Dons towards the upper echelons of the league.
Max Porter (Rushden and Diamonds, free)
Charles Ademano (Grimsby, free)
Chris Bush (Brentford, free)
Personnel Out
Fan favourite Jon Main has been told that his future lies elsewhere despite 64 goals for the club. Main only started on a handful of occasions last season and was sent out on loan to Dartford before leaving the Dons for good in the summer.
Also amongst those released are Ismail Yakubu, Ed Harris, Mark Nwokeji and Delano Sam-Yorke.
Steven Gregory (Bournemouth, undisclosed)
Strengths
Wimbledon are currently on a major high. The fact it’s taken the club just nine years since it’s reformation to reach the Football League means this is a club on the up, with a mentality for winning. Although the bar has been raised to its highest level yet, this mentality could prove key in matches this season, backed by a decent fan base (and seemingly the media), the adrenaline alone should see the Wombles looking up rather than down. Wimbledon also averaged an impressive 1.6 goals away from home last season, more than any other in the division and their attacking mentality away from home could surprise a few teams in their own back yard.
Weaknesses
The loss of club captain and cult hero Danny Kedwell must be mentioned here. The current replacement Jack Midson knows League 2 well, but anyone would struggle to match Kedwell’s contribution of 19 goals and a promotion-winning penalty last season. Couple this with Steven Gregory’s departure to Bournemouth and AFCW have lost two gems. The relative lack of Football League experience in the squad could prove telling. So far the only way has been up for the Dons but this season will more than likely prove a very different story.
Key Man
Jack Midson (agreed!) –
Whoever the Dons were to sign up front had a difficult mantle to pick up and Jack Midson, at least on paper appears to be the Wombles’ best hope of goals up front. Danny Kedwell and Kaid Mohamed having departed for pastures new, leaves Midson along with Charles Ademeno and Luke Moore with the task of firing the Dons to success. Out of these you’d expect Midson, with previous League experience to be the man to do so.
One to Watch
It’s not often a Goalkeeper gets the pick as one to watch, but Seb Brown’s heroic performances last season won him many admirers, as well as the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade. So far the Dons have done well to keep hold of their number 1 man and if they can continue to fend off interest then they’ll surely have have one of the divisions top performers between the sticks.
Outlook
A club for whom you could make a case for finishing pretty much anywhere this season, the Dons’ fans will return to the Football League in high spirits. However the loss of strikers Kedwell and Mohamed and midfielder Gregory are real blows; the likes of Jack Midson, Seb Brown and captain Jamie Stuart need to perform regularly here. If they do, then a comfortable mid table finish should be on the cards.
Predictions
Ben: Everyone will be cheering the Dons on, but in their first season back in the Football League they’ll be more concerned about consolidation: mid-table is my best guess.
Danny: Momentum should lift Wimbledon to a top half spot.
Maxi: The Dons will be welcomed back with a mid table finish.
Player to watch
Jack Midson
Our former loanee has certainly found a home in south-west London and has scored 11 goals in 28 games, though his last strike was in the 3-1 cup defeat at Bradford City on December 3rd as the Dons have struggled to find the net.
Last time out
AFC Wimbledon 0 Oxford United 2 (played on Monday, December 26th, 2011); Report: www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/
Life in the middle
PREVIOUSLY
First time against AFC but for our previous matches against the real Dons, and there were some deceny games, 4-6 anyone in '83 at Plough Lane, I was there!
GROUND
Kingsmeadow is a small but tidy stadium, that has seen investment in recent years since AFC Wimbledon took over the lease from Kingstonian FC, who still groundshare with the Dons. Three sides of the stadium are comprised of covered terracing, with only the Paul Strank Stand on one side being comprised of seating. This covered, all seated Main Stand, looks fairly modern, having recently been extended. It accommodates 1,265 spectators and although only eight rows high, it is free of supporting pillars, resulting in uninterrupted views of the pitch.
Surprisingly the team dugouts are not located in front of the Main Stand, but on the other side in front of the John Smiths Terrace, which leads to a procession of players and club officials, at half and at full time. This terrace is partly covered to the rear and has open flanks to either side.
At one end is the Tempest End Terrace (aka the Athletics End, from the Athletics Stadium that sits behind), where the majority of the home supporters stand. This newish looking covered terrace is located quite close to the edge of the playing area, giving a reasonable view of the game.
Opposite is the Kingston Road End terrace, which is partly covered with a basic looking roof and open areas to each side. The stadium has a set of four rather plain looking floodlights.
Away fans are housed in the John Smith's Terrace at one side of the pitch. This small shallow terrace is partly covered to the rear, with open standing areas on each side. On my visit the catering was a bit disappointing with a hut just selling rather expensive sandwiches and hot drinks. If this has now changed in the away section then please let me know. Only a small number seats (50) are made available to visiting fans and these are reserved for the old or infirm.
Please note that the away terrace is not accessible by going through the main entrance into the stadium car park. Away fans should instead continue going along Kingston Road (keeping the main entrance on the right) and take the next right into Jack Goodchild Way.
Outside the stadium near the main entrance is a handy chip shop whilst a bit further along is the amusingly named 'Fat Boys Cafe'.
TICKETS
SOLD OUT; not worth trying to get in the home end, tough security, but good luck if you plan to try!
WEATHER
A mild 13c's but bleak.
REF
The man in the middle is, oh dear, Trevor Kettle from, yes, Berkshire.
And we were only talking about him last week, seems he's been away on duty on the day job, an RAF officer!
Only two games this season and 11 yellows! Someone will be booked!
Referee's assistants are Harry Lennard and Oleksandr Sally; the fourth official is Andy Davies.
FESTIVE FIXTURES
League Two
Friday, December 30th; (all kick-offs 19.45): Cheltenham v Rotherham, Crawley Town v Barnet, Dag & Red v Gillingham, Hereford v Accrington Stanley.
Saturday, 31 December 2011: Aldershot v Plymouth, 13.00, Macclesfield v Port Vale, 13.00, Morecambe v Burton Albion, 13.00, Torquay v Oxford Utd, 13.00, AFC Wimbledon v Southend, 15:00, Bradford v Shrewsbury, 15:00, Bristol Rovers v Crewe, 15.00, Northampton v Swindon, 15:00.
Monday, January 2nd; (all kick-offs 15.00): Accrington Stanley v Macclesfield, Barnet v Bristol Rovers, Burton Albion v Hereford, Crewe v Morecambe, Gillingham v Aldershot, Oxford Utd v Crawley Town, Plymouth v Torquay, Port Vale v Cheltenham, Rotherham v Bradford, Shrewsbury v Northampton, Southend v Dag & Red, Swindon v AFC Wimbledon.
BET
AFC Wimbledon (to win) - 5/2, Draw - 5/2, Southend (to win) - 5/4.
Best of sixes for Bomber Harris to open the scoring.
TRANSPORT
PUB AND PIES
SOMEWHERE TO LAY YOUR HAT
HISTORY
AFC Wimbledon fans and players celebrate promotion to the Conference South at the end of 2007–08
The club began in 2002 as a result of the Football Association's sanctioning of Wimbledon Football Club's relocation to Milton Keynes, the new town in Buckinghamshire. Wimbledon supporters opposed to this move reacted by founding their own side, AFC Wimbledon. In view of its transplanting to Milton Keynes, a large majority of Wimbledon fans felt that the original club no longer represented Wimbledon's legacy and tradition, and thus withdrew their support, choosing instead to re-establish the club from scratch.
When AFC Wimbledon was formed it affiliated to both the London and Surrey Football Associations and entered the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League. The side has since been promoted five times in nine seasons: during this time, it played 78 consecutive league matches without defeat, which is an all-time record in English senior football.
The 2005–06 season proved far more competitive than previous seasons — after winning their first few games, AFC Wimbledon found themselves struggling to remain in the play-off places. After fluctuating form they eventually reached the play-offs with a 1–0 win against Anderson's former club, Hendon. However, defeat at Fisher Athletic meant no third promotion in a row. The Dons again reached the final of the Surrey Senior Cup, losing 1–0 to Kingstonian in a fiercely contested derby.
The 2006–07 season was Anderson's last in charge, and AFC Wimbledon lost to Bromley in the play-off semi-final. Much of the season was overshadowed by the threat of a proposed 18-point deduction by the FA for the club's fielding of Jermaine Darlington who, it transpired, had not been registered correctly by the club and had therefore played in three games whilst still ineligible. However, this punishment was eventually reduced to a three point deduction and a £400 fine after the FA finally acknowledged that the club had made a simple administrative error. The Darlington affair also resulted in expulsion from the Surrey Senior Cup and the FA Trophy that year.
Terry Brown
Under new boss Terry Brown, AFC Wimbledon achieved promotion to the Conference South the next season, beating Staines Town 2–1 in the play-off final. AFC Wimbledon quickly adjusted to Conference South football during 2008–09, being amongst the leading clubs for most of the season and winning the title on the final day. The club competed in the Conference National during 2009–10, finishing eighth, 14 points yet a mere three places short of the playoff zone.
The following season, Wimbledon finished as league runners-up. In the promotion play-off final, they beat Luton Town 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out after the match had ended in a 0–0 draw after extra time. The winning penalty was scored by club captain Danny Kedwell. The victory resulted in the club winning promotion into The Football League for the first time.
Hurrah; and two fingers up to the Franchise!
(For a far more comprehensive history of the club, and it's worth reading, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dons_Trust)
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