The Dons will on Saturday be going all out to secure a first home league victory this season – and Glyn Hodges has called for his players to take the game to Shrewsbury.
Sam Ricketts, who led the Shrews to a 15th place finish last season, will bring his Shrewsbury side to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium also seeking a first in League One after three draws and a defeat so far in 2020/21.
However, Wimbledon have a great opportunity to move further up the table after an away victory at Swindon took the Dons up to 10th place.
Below are quotes from both managers, team news, stats, and a look at past matches:
Glyn Hodges
“We are in a good place, we’ve picked up a good amount of points. It’s nice to be at home and to have the chance to do better than we did against Accrington. I thought we did enough to get something out of it, but we just got caught with two goals that were definitely stoppable from our point of view. It’s just a case of taking the form from last Saturday into this game. We’ve watched Shrewsbury; they are bright, sharp, and the manager has changed formation from last season. They are a fit side and they will come with a plan. We know what to expect from them, but it’s our home game and have to make sure that we impose ourselves. That’s the message I always give to the players.”
Sam Ricketts
“Wimbledon are a well-organised team and are similar to us. They work very hard and are very honest. They understand what is asked of them. It will be a good game, a tough game, but one we are looking forward to.
“We are in good spirits. Performance levels and attitudes are positive and we are looking forward to the game. They’ve turned draws into wins, whereas we haven’t. We have been unlucky not to do so and we are in a good place so those results will come.
“We need to concentrate on ourselves and on how we want to play. The main reason for changing the style this year was because games are coming thick and fast. We want to be the best we can be at what we do. The pitch seems smaller there but that won't have any bearing on the game."
Team news
Will Nightingale is likely to return to the squad after putting a knee injury behind him, but it’s too soon for Ollie Palmer to return, though he has made good progress from a groin operation. Shrewsbury could be boosted by the inclusion tomorrow of Shaun Whalley, who limped out of Town’s last league game a fortnight ago with a calf injury. But long-term absentees Rekeil Pyke, Ryan Sears, Matija Sarkic and Dave Edwards are still missing.
Form Guide (last six in all competitions)
AFC Wimbledon WDDLWW
Shrewsbury WDDWLD
Last time out
Swindon Town 0-1 Wimbledon
Shrewsbury 2-1 Bolton (EFL Trophy)
Previous matches
Since the mid-1980s, the Dons can boast just one win over Shrewsbury Town, so it’s certainly time to change that record! Back in the 1984/85 season, Dave Bassett’s men did the double over the Shrews in the old Division Two and another victory followed a season later, as the Dons marched relentlessly to promotion into the top-flight. Three of the past five meetings have been drawn though with the last Wimbledon versus Shrewsbury match ending in a 1-1 draw. Wimbledon’s last victory against Shrewsbury was in the final game of 2011/12. Terry Brown’s men rounded off our first season back in the Football League with a 3-1 win, thanks to a Luke Moore double and a Byron Harrison goal, against a Shrewsbury side already promoted to League One.
Last season
The Dons dominated the first-half and earned a 1-0 half-time lead, thanks to an own goal by Ethan Ebanks-Landell. However, the Shrews were revitalised after the break and they earned a 1-1 draw through a Jason Cummings equaliser. Take a look below at the highlights from 14 September 2019.
iFollow
Passcodes for free access to live match coverage have been sent out via email to all fans who have committed to purchasing a Debenture plus Non Refundable Season Ticket or Non Refundable Season Ticket only. We published a ‘how to’ guide before our first home league match of the season and it’s worth taking a look at this previous article if you haven’t yet accessed the service. Match passes will be available at £10 via iFollow, for those not eligible for a free pass.
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