In the second round of the FA Cup, League Two AFC Wimbledon are set to host National League side Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday at The Cherry Red Records Stadium.
In the last round, Wimbledon won 2-0 away to fierce rivals MK Dons, while the Daggers were victorious in their away trip to League Two's Crewe Alexandra.
Match preview
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Johnnie Jackson's Wimbledon are currently seventh in League Two with 26 points after 16 games and occupy one of the division's promotion playoff spots.
Having lost two, drawn one and won two of their last five games, it is fair to say that Wimbledon are in mixed form of late, and they will want to gain some stability with a victory over their lower-tier opponents this weekend.
Should they progress to the third round of the FA Cup, it would be the first time in more than six weeks that Wimbledon have recorded consecutive wins, and could provide a boon to the club as a whole if they were to draw a Premier League club at the next stage.
Last time out, the Dons beat 21st-placed Tranmere Rovers 2-0 on November 26 thanks to goals from Matty Stevens and Omar Bugiel either side of half time.
However, despite their contrasting league positions, Wimbledon had just 40% possession in the match and faced five shots on target while producing four of their own.
Similarly, in their FA Cup game with MK Dons on November 3, the duo of Matty Stevens and Omar Bugiel struck either side of half time and Jackson's side registered less possession than their opponents, though in that game the away side managed a significantly more impressive nine shots on target while facing just two.
On the whole, Wimbledon boast the joint-best defensive record in League Two and only three teams have scored more, and this level of firepower may cause major problems for Dagenham & Redbridge.
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Ben Strevens's Daggers are 14th in the National League with 25 points after 20 matchweeks, and sit five points below the promotion playoff spots and six above the relegation zone.
Last time out, Strevens's side beat Aldershot Town 3-2 at home in what was their first league win since October 19 when they thrashed Fylde 4-0, though they did benefit from a red card for Aldershot and still managed to concede two late goals that made for a tense finish.
Between those two wins, the only victories registered by the Daggers came in the National League Cup against West Bromwich Albion Under-21s and in the FA Cup against Crewe Alexandra on November 2, and perhaps this is indicative of an increased potency in cup competitions.
Against Crewe, Dagenham & Redbridge gave a good account of themselves against higher-tier opposition by keeping a clean sheet and holding onto the lead that Dion Pereira earned from the penalty spot.
Considering that Crewe sit even higher in the League Two table than Wimbledon, the Daggers will head into Saturday's game confident that they are capable of being genuinely competitive in the match.
Victory and the prospect of a third-round tie against a major Premier League side could be immensely valuable for Dagenham & Redbridge, and fans will look to this opportunity in the cup for excitement amidst what has so far been a textbook mid-table campaign in the National League.
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Team News
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Daggers centre-back Tom Eastman was taken off with an injury against Aldershot, and he may be replaced by Luca Woodhouse, who was substituted on in his place.
Regular goalscorer and penalty taker Dion Pereira can be expected to line up on the right of manager Strevens's midfield four, and will likely assist striker Josh Umerah going forward.
Wimbledon midfielder Callum Maycock picked up an injury against Tranmere last time out, and Jackson may turn to James Furlong to play in his stead.
Likewise, captain and centre-back Ryan Johnson was withdrawn due to injury late on in the same game, and his place in the XI may be assumed by Isaac Ogundere this weekend.
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Goodman; Ogundere, Lewis, Harbottle; Tilley, Hippolyte, Ball, Furlong, Neufville; Stevens, Bugiel
Dagenham & Redbridge possible starting lineup:
Justham; Rendall, Kalambayi, Woodhouse, Vincent; Phipps, Pereira, N'Guessan, Morias, Hill; Umerah
We say: AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Dagenham & Redbridge
Due to the stakes and the potential of playing a Premier League side in the next round, expect this game to be a hard-fought affair.
However, while Dagenham & Redbridge beat League Two opposition in the last round of the FA Cup, Wimbledon may prove too much for the mid-table National League side to handle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
