Dons to check on the fitness of Luke for Wigan game

Player/Coach Darius Charles previews our trip to the North West

4 March 2022

We’ll check on the fitness of midfielder Luke McCormick ahead of tomorrow’s League One clash at Wigan Athletic.

“Luke is all right,” said Player/Coach Darius Charles after training on Thursday. “He took a knock on his Achilles on Tuesday. He had moderated training and hopefully he should be fit for the weekend. Cheye Alexander has been struck down with a bug, so it looks like he might not be available for selection, but by Friday he might be fit again and able to put himself back in the running.”

There was better news concerning defender Henry Lawrence (hamstring) and midfielder Anthony Hartigan (shoulder), who both took part in full training and could be back soon to help the Dons during a very busy March.

“When Ant done his shoulder, it looked bad,” said Darius. “To be fair to him he’s worked tirelessly. The fact he’s back in full training after only a couple of weeks is a credit to him and the hard work and endeavour he’s put in. It’s brilliant to see Henry back, we’ve missed him. He’s a great character, he’s a good lad, and it was enjoyable to see him out there working to create opportunities and score goals.”

You can see highlights of Thursday’s training session below, via the link to our official YouTube channel.

Defender Ben Heneghan (ankle) isn’t expected to be ruled out for long, but strikers Aaron Cosgrave (ankle) and Aaron Pressley (hamstring) have more serious injuries. Winger Egli Kaja (calf) is making progress outdoors, working with our Head of Sports Science Chris McConnell.

“The one thing you know with ‘Henners’ is that he’s going to do everything possible to get himself out there,” said Darius. “Unfortunately, this game is just a little too soon, having rolled his ankle in training.

“Aaron Cosgrave’s situation is a little bit more serious. We won’t be expecting him back anytime soon. With regards to Aaron Pressley, we’re looking at a few weeks because of a reoccurrence of the same injury he had previously, It is very common, but unfortunate. Hopefully he’ll be back sooner, but it just depends on how these things settle down.”

Experienced defender Darius is confident that lessons have been learned after our last trip to the North West ended in a disappointing defeat at Bolton. On Saturday we prepare to face a much-changed Wigan side to the one that we beat 3-2 in this fixture just over a year ago.

“These boys are at the beginning of their learning of the game,” said Darius. “When I look at them, I can’t judge as a 34-year-old because I’ve had 16 years of education in the sport. These boys are really at the start of their careers, so it’s finding ways to make them understand how important the seemingly innocuous moments are and how powerful communicating can be in controlling a game, how big momentum can be, and how it can shift quickly.

“We’re essentially teaching boys who are babies in the game, so these things take time and where this club is going will not be determined in a day, or a season - it’s over the course of two, three, five, or 10 years.”

Listen to our extensive interview in full with popular club figure Darius Charles below, via the video link to our official YouTube channel.

Match Reports

Tough blow for the Dons

Mishap costs us at Wigan

5 March 2022

AFC Wimbledon were once again made to pay for a defensive mishap as Wigan Athletic left us uncomfortably close to the drop zone.

Mercifully, other results kept us two points clear of the pack but that was of little consolation after Robbo's team threw everything they had at their high-flying opponents - but rarely looked like scoring.

The Dons came into the match off the back of letting a lead slip against Doncaster Rovers and were understandably keen to make an impact against a Wigan side sitting second in the league.

Despite some high energy from the likes of Woodyard, Rudoni and Assal, it was the Latics who broke the first-half deadlock - albeit fortuitously.

Tom Bayliss's shot was parried away by Nik Tzanev but the rebound fell to Will Keane, who gratefully slotted home from close range.

The Dons picked themselves up, especially after the break by pushing forward continuously, but we couldn't engineer a meaningful opening.

The angst was there for all to see at full-time from the fans, players and staff alike as we once again headed home empty handed.

Mark Robinson made one change to the side that was held to a 2-2 draw last time out as Paul Osew came in for Cheye Alexander at right-back with the Dons lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Confidence was certainly high in the camp ahead of this game with the group having enjoyed a whole week of preparation for the trip up north.

The match itself was bitty to say the least in the opening 20 minutes with chances being few and far between - aside from a Stephen Humphrys' header that rattled the bar from close range as Wimbledon rode their luck.

However, we didn’t get off so lightly the second time round as the Latics took the lead through Keane. The Dons were under pressure at this stage but dug in to create one or two openings before the break.

And the Dons started the second half brightly with Luke McCormick firing in a shot that was well parried by Ben Amos in the Wigan goal, as we looked to hit back early on.

Tzanev then had to stay alert to divert a powerful effort from Gwion Edwards wide with Wigan looking to reassert their authority.

Jack Rudoni was replaced by Dan Csoka midway through the second half as Robbo shifted his side into a back three, allowing Lee Brown and Osew to play in more advanced wing back roles.

The Dons dominated the closing stages, but couldn't carve open a well-drilled and strong Wigan defence. It was another frustrating result, but not one to dwell on with another long away trip to come as we visit Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night.

AFC Wimbledon: Nik Tzanev, Alex Woodyard, Will Nightingale, George Marsh (Anthony Hartigan), Sam Cosgrove, Ayoub Assal (Terry Ablade), Jack Rudoni (Dan Csoka), Luke McCormick, Paul Kalambayi, Paul Osew, Lee Brown.

Match Reports

Ticket News

Update for trip to Wigan

Get your ticket in advance or on the day

3 March 2022

The Dons head back up north this weekend for a League One game at Wigan and our supporters can buy tickets on the day.

Get your ticket before the game from windows 1-3 of the ticket office at the DW Stadium. Please note that on the day ticket sales are cash only.

We've sold over 200 tickets in advance, so come along and show us more of that famous Dons support!

The Dons will be aiming for a similar outcome to last season's visit to Wigan after a 3-2 victory that was Robbo's first win in charge.

You can buy tickets from our online shop .

Tickets will go offline at 12 noon on Friday.

Prices are as follows:

Adults - £20
Over 65s - £15
Under-18s - £10
Under-12s - £5
Under-5s - £2

For enquiries about disabled tickets, please e-mail tickets@afcwimbledon.ltd.uk .

The postal deadline for tickets was 12 noon on Wednesday, so if you ordered after this date your ticket will be available for collection either from our stadium reception before 12 noon on Friday, or from Wigan pre-match.