Four takeaways from AFC Wimbledon’s goalless draw at Bradford – Kelly shows promise on debut as Ogundere stakes claim

BY DAVE HUNT-JACKSON

A significantly weakened AFC Wimbledon fought out a goalless draw at Bradford City on Saturday. 

Missing Joe Lewis, Ryan Johnson and Jake Reeves through injury and the departed Ali Al-Hamadi, the Dons were confronted with a pitch that was in very poor condition and a referee who was poor even by League Two standards. 

The pitch cost the visitors the chance to play their normal fluid passing game and the referee cost them the clearest of penalties as Omar Bugiel was rugby tackled to the floor early in the game. 

All in all, this was probably a point gained albeit against a poor and struggling West Yorkshire outfit. 

Nevertheless, if Wimbledon are serious about contending for a play-off place, then they will have to find ways to win even with players missing and start by beating a high-flying Barrow on Saturday.

Here are Dave Hunt-Jackson’s takeaways from the game:

PROBLEMS IN THE CENTRAL DEFENSIVE AREAS

Losing the defensive partnership of Lewis and Johnson was always going to be problematic. 

Johnnie Jackson preferred to play Lee Brown out of position, with Crystal Palace loanee Kofi Balmer handed his debut ahead of his only fit experienced central defender Alex Pearce. 

It was a strange gamble that just about paid off, although having been wrongly booked in the first half, Brown should have received a second yellow card for hauling down his man in the second. 

It needed the sharpness of Alex Bass to save his blushes on two occasions when he failed to get enough on his back passes. If Jackson has so little faith in Pearce then hopefully John-Joe O’Toole will be able to step into the centre if Joe Lewis’s knee injury keeps him out on Saturday when the Mansfield man will have had the chance to meet his new teammates properly.

A PROMISING DEBUT 

Ali Al-Hamadi leaves some big boots to fill but his replacement in the number 10 jersey, Josh Kelly, showed signs on his debut that he may have what it takes to do just that. 

He lacks the Iraqi’s pace but, despite the under-foot conditions, showed great ball control, and his very first touch of the ball was a delightful flick into James Tilley’s path. A backheel to Bugiel could have unlocked the Bantam’s defence on another day, and once he gets to properly develop the partnership with the again exceptional Bugiel, they could become a deadly double act. All in all, it looks like another good piece of recruitment from Craig Cope’s old stomping ground.

It is a position where the Dons still look short on numbers, though, as Josh Davison continues to struggle for form and Aaron Sasu need game time in the centre to develop in the role, possibly on loan elsewhere.

AN IMPORTANT TIME BEHIND THE SCENES

AFC Wimbledon’s financial woes mean that most of the fee for Al-Hamadi will be swallowed up in balancing the books. 

Whatever is left after the signing of Kelly could be worse spent on securing the services of Bugiel and Armani Little for the coming seasons. 

The caution in handing both one-year deals last summer means both need to be persuaded to extend their stay. 

Bugiel plays with passion and heart and never fails to give everything for the cause, whilst Little covers every blade of grass and even more so without his partner in crime, Jake Reeves. 

With a second consecutive successful transfer window under Cope the Dons can look to consolidate and then push on in the summer when players from the less successful windows under the current and previous manager reach the end of their contracts. If Bugiel and Little can be persuaded to sign then, regardless of how the rest of the season pans out, the South Londoners will be in excellent shape.

ISAAC DESERVES TO KEEP HIS PLACE

Wimbledon are blessed with not one but two talented homegrown right backs with Jackson clearly preferring Huseyn Biler to Issac Ogundere. It is the latter who has started the last two League fixtures as Biler serves his suspension for his second red card of the campaign.

The fact is that Ogundere has never let anyone down as he is good going forward, albeit maybe not quite as good as Biler.

Defensively, though, he is superior, rarely needing to commit a foul and possessing noticeably better judgement than Biler in his defensive duties and better technique in the tackle.

With Biler seeing red twice this term, Ogundere could consider himself very hard done by if he is not allowed to remain in the right-back berth for future games, as his temperament clearly makes him the safer option between the two equally talented youngsters.

Best Moment: A delightful backheel from Josh Kelly that nearly created an opening for his strike partner.

Star Man: Omar Bugiel. Never stopped running and caused problems for Bradford both up front and in defence.