AFC Wimbledon face a trip to Crewe Alexandra in the FA Cup First Round this Saturday. The tie at Alexandra Stadium kicks off at 3pm as the Dons look to arrest a slide in form, having taken just one point from their last five matches with zero wins, one draw, and four losses.
Johnnie Jackson's side go into the cup clash after a difficult run. They have lost four of their last five games across all competitions, a sequence that includes a 2-1 defeat at Stockport County last time out. That result leaves them 18th in League One, having taken 13 points from their opening 13 games, a record of three wins, four draws, and six defeats. Top scorer Jayden Stockley, who has six goals this season, netted in that loss at Edgeley Park. The team's overall goal difference stands at minus twelve, having scored only nine times while conceding twenty-one in the league.
Crewe, who play in League Two, also come into the match off the back of a defeat, having lost 2-0 to Exeter City in late October. Their last starting lineup featured the keeper Lawlor and forward Chris Long. Wimbledon's most recent selection saw Bursik in goal, with Stockley and Harry Cornick leading the line.
The Dons' recent fixtures have been tough. Before the Stockport loss, they were beaten 1-2 by Arsenal's under-21s in the EFL Trophy and suffered heavy league defeats to Mansfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday. Their sole point in the last five came from a 1-1 draw with Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday 24 October. In that draw, the key equaliser was scored in the 87th minute. The poor run also includes a 5-0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday 17 October and a 2-1 defeat at Plymouth on Saturday 10 October.
After the cup tie, attention returns to League One and a home game against Blackpool on Saturday 14 November. That match at Plough Lane pits two sides currently in the bottom half against each other, with Blackpool sitting 19th. Wimbledon's next league fixture is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday, November 14th. In the wider league picture, the Dons find themselves fifteen points behind the leaders, Huddersfield Town.
