Four takeaways from AFC Wimbledon’s 0-0 draw at Salford City – Assal a key miss as Currie hot again

AFC Wimbledon extended their unbeaten run with a hard-earned point in their first ever visit to Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium as they were left to rue their lack of firepower with Josh Davison forced to plough a loan furrow with his strike partner Ayoub Assal suspended.

It was a thoroughly deserved draw and the Dons showed a performance closer to the excellent display against Orient than the abject effort of the previous Saturday at Weymouth in the FA Cup.

Indeed the Dons might have won it had Ethan Chislett not shot horribly wide having beaten former Dons goalkeeper Tom King, who also three times denied Davison an opening goal.

Here are Dave Hunt-Jackson’s takeaways from the match.

DONS PAY THE PRICE FOR LACK OF DISCIPLINE

Wimbledon found themselves without a key member of the side with the free-scoring Ayoub Assal once again racking up a suspension for five cautions. Although his composure is a part of his game he has clearly worked on, and has generally improved, his team-mates could ill-afford to be without his firepower with Nathan Young-Coobes still injured and Johnnie Jackson seemingly lacking faith in either Kyle Hudlin, who was once again an unused substitute, and David Fisher, who made a brief appearance late on.

Quaine Bartley was not even in the 18-man squad and it won’t have gone unnoticed that Zach Robinson, who was clearly surplus to Jackson’s requirements, added another brace for his loan club Dundee.

In the circumstances the Dons boss opted to play Courtney Senior out of position alongside Josh Davison and despite his best efforts he was unsurprisingly no substitute for Assal, who might well have made the difference between one point and three.

Assal will need to work still harder on his discipline if he is not to cost his club further.

JACK CURRIE WAS OUTSTANDING

It is very easy to forget that Jack Currie was unknown to many AFC Wimbledon fans before the start of the season as he continues to impress with his performances in this breakout season.

On Saturday he gave a performance at left-back that was little short of a masterclass in defending. He timed every tackle to perfection and was a rock at the back as the South Londoners earned a second clean sheet in a week. He has become as important as anyone in the Dons’ best starting 11 and like his fellow defenders is clearly relishing playing as part of a back four with the manager’s early season preference of three at the back hopefully now abandoned for good. Like his namesake Jack Rudoni, he will be hard to hold onto if his form continues through the rest of the season.

HAVE WIMBLEDON FINALLY TURNED A CORNER?

It is remarkably just eight days since Wimbledon’s dismal display in Dorset and they have since gained a highly unlikely four points from two games that they were expected to lose, and lose comfortably. Better still they have turned in two passionate display, kept two clean sheets and Nik Tzanev at the back to the tireless Josh Davison have looked like at team that could, and arguably should, be considerably closer to, if not in, at least the play-off places.

It is still early days but the signs are encouraging as is the news that Young-Coombes is back in full training at Brentford which will be of great solace to the Dons with Chris Gunter missing for a while on World Cup duty.

If, in his absence, they can dispose of Weymouth and continue their improved league form at Tranmere there will be cause for celebration indeed.

TZANEV BACK TO HIS BEST

One player who has benefited hugely from the switch to 4-4-2 is the Dons’ Kiwi keeper Nik Tzanev.

Now he is required to stop the opposition scoring – rather than acting as part of the backline in the so-called sweeper-keeper role – his confidence has returned. He dealt with everything that was thrown at him by Salford. He claimed all the crosses and corners that came near him and ensured the visitors left with the share of the spoils with a stunning late save from Reds’ substitute Matt Smith in injury time that ensured Salford finished a fourth consecutive game without scoring.

MAIN PICTURE: LUCY DIXON