League One strugglers Cheltenham Town will be bidding to book their spot in the second round of the FA Cup when they make the trip to League Two AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 victory over Port Vale in the third tier, while AFC Wimbledon suffered a 4-1 defeat to Morecambe in their last League Two fixture.
Match preview
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AFC Wimbledon will enter Saturday's contest off the back of a five-game winless run in all competitions, including defeats in three of their last four matches.
Johnnie Jackson's side actually won three straight games against Walsall, Tranmere Rovers and Harrogate Town at the end of September and start of October, but their form of late has been disappointing, and they suffered a 4-1 loss at Morecambe in the league on Saturday.
A record of five wins, seven draws and four defeats has brought them 22 points, which is only enough for 11th position in the table, but they are only four points off the playoff positions.
The FA Cup is not high on the club's list of priorities this season, but they actually beat Cheltenham 4-3 when these two sides locked horns in the 2021-22 competition.
AFC Wimbledon, who will follow this game with a clash against Crystal Palace Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, have only won one of their last four games in the tournament, though, losing at home to Chesterfield last season.
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Cheltenham, meanwhile, have won two of their last three matches, including a 2-1 success over Port Vale in the league on Saturday, which moved them off the bottom of the division.
Darrell Clarke took charge of the League One strugglers at the end of September, and there has been a huge improvement, with the team winning two, drawing one and losing three of their six matches under him.
Cheltenham were bottom of League One without a goal or a victory in their first nine matches when Clarke was appointed as head coach, but the team appear to have turned a corner, now sitting just six points from the safety of 20th position in the League One table.
The Robins were actually beaten by non-league Alvechurch in last season's FA Cup, winning just one of their last five matches in the competition.
Escaping the League One relegation zone is undoubtedly the team's priority in the coming weeks, but a victory over AFC Wimbledon would keep the momentum going, especially as their next two matches after this one are both at home.
Team News
AFC Wimbledon head coach Jackson is expected to give opportunities to a number of youngsters and squad players against Crystal Palace Under-21s in the EFL Trophy next week rather than ring the changes here, especially as it would have been a week since their last fixture.
The Dons are not back in league action until next Saturday, meanwhile, so it is likely to be a familiar side that takes to the field for the first whistle here.
That said, Nikola Tzanev is expected to be given a chance to impress between the sticks, while Josh Davison could also be introduced in the final third of the field.
Cheltenham head coach Clarke is also unlikely to ring the changes for this match, as he is building patterns of play early in his tenure, but there will be at least a couple of alterations.
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Aidan Keena featured off the bench in the win over Port Vale last weekend, and the pair could now come in for starts here.
There will be chances for some squad players in the EFL Trophy against West Ham United Under-21s next week, so it is likely to be a recognisable side, with William Goodwin expected to feature in the final third.
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Tzanev; Biler, Lewis, Johnson, Currie; Tilley, Reeves, Little, Neufville; Al Hamadi, Davison
Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Southwood; Bevan, Davies, Williams; Long, Thompson, Bonds, Butler-Oyedeji; Keena, Street, Goodwin
We say: AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Cheltenham Town
This is a difficult match to call, and it would not be a surprise to see either of these sides advance to the next stage. Cheltenham are playing much better at the moment, though, and we are tipping the League One outfit to edge a close contest in order to progress to the next round.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
