Sports Mole previews Saturday’s League Two clash between Barrow and AFC Wimbledon, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Both looking to strengthen their cases for a top-seven finish, Barrow and AFC Wimbledon will lock horns at SO Legal Stadium for a League Two clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Bluebirds enjoyed a handsome success in the EFL Trophy earlier in the week, whilst the Dons have enjoyed a full seven days to recover from a clash with Grimsby Town.
Match preview
Finishing eighth in the 2023-24 League Two table – one point and one place below eventual playoff winners Crawley Town – Barrow are on a mission to achieve a top-seven finish this time around, hoping to escape out of the fourth tier the right way at the fifth attempt.
The Bluebirds’ hopes of success this season has taken a major hit in recent times, with Saturday’s hosts enduring a five-game winless streak in League Two, including a 1-1 draw at home to Colchester United last weekend, when an added-time strike from Lyle Taylor denied the hosts maximum points.
That being said, Barrow did manage to halt a seven-game winless run across all competitions courtesy of a 3-0 success over Aston Villa Under-21s in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night, when Dom Telford, Theo Vassell and Andy Dallas all breached the net of the young Villans.
Focusing on fourth-tier matters, the Bluebirds are currently occupying 11th position in the League Two standings, just two points behind Grimsby in seventh and only five points behind Walsall (second) and Notts County (third) in the lowest of the automatic promotion spots.
AFC Wimbledon now lost three of their last four matches across all competitions following a one-goal defeat at home to Grimsby last Saturday afternoon, when a first-half strike from Danny Rose, assisted by Kieran Green, was enough for maximum points from The Cherry Red Records Stadium.
The Dons’ only victory in the last quartet of matches arrived at the home of their bitter rivals in the FA Cup on November 3, when goals either side of the half-time whistle from Matthew Stevens and Omar Bugiel secured a 2-0 win over MK Dons.
Ahead of this weekend’s trip to SO Legal Stadium and a meeting with Barrow, Wimbledon are sitting in 14th place in the League Two rankings in the knowledge that three points on Saturday would allow the Dons to leapfrog the Bluebirds in the fourth tier.
Visiting supporters in Barrow will not be expecting much from their troops this time around, with Johnnie Jackson‘s men collecting just four of their 19 League Two points away from their base in England’s capital.
Barrow League Two form:
Barrow form (all competitions):
AFC Wimbledon League Two form:
AFC Wimbledon form (all competitions):
Team News
Despite conceding late on last time out in League Two against Colchester, Barrow should continue with a centre-back pairing of Vassell and Niall Canavan.
Elliot Newby found the net versus the U’s and should keep his place, although fellow attackers such as Kian Spence will be worrying about being dropped.
Dallas, Charlie Kirk and young Welshman Christopher Popov are all banging on the manager’s door for a start in the fourth tier this weekend.
After firing a blank against Grimsby last weekend, Wimbledon are expected to make some alterations to their attacking line for this match.
Once a prolific scorer in the EFL, Joe Pigott could be promoted from the bench for the Dons at the SO Legal Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Barrow possible starting lineup:
Stanway; Eccleston, Vassell, Canavan, Jackson; Gotts, Campbell, Mahoney, Popov, Newby; Telford
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Goodman; Lewis, Ball, Johnson; Neufville, Maycock, Smith, Hippolyte, Tilley; Pigott, Bugiel
We say: Barrow 1-0 AFC Wimbledon
After their EFL Trophy win earlier in the week, Barrow should be full of confidence and raring to put poor travellers Wimbledon to the sword this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
