Talking points from Morecambe 1 AFC Wimbledon 0 – Automatic promotion hopes take a huge hit as strugglers pull off win
AFC Wimbledon’s hopes of automatic promotion to League One took a huge nosedive as they suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Morecambe.
Lee Angol’s first-half strike was enough to see off the toothless South Londoners at the Mozuma Mobile Stadium on Tuesday.
Here are Dave Hunt-Jackson’s talking points from the match.
JACKSON ROTATION APPROACH ISN’T WORKING
Johnnie Jackson’s interpretation of squad rotation is to make either wholesale changes or none at all. Here he made five alterations to the starting line-up that lost 1-0 at home to Bromley on Saturday – leaving all his first-choice attacking options on the bench.
He rested top-scorer Matty Stevens along with Omar Bugiel, Isaac Ogundere, James Tilley and Marcus Browne.
It was a gamble that cost the Dons dearly as they fell to a disappointing defeat to a Morecambe side who are second from bottom in the table.
Four of the rested players were thrown into the mix as Wimbledon tried in vain to salvage something from the encounter.
SURELY NOT ANOTHER SEASON OF UNDER ACHIEVEMENT?
Both of Jackson’s previous seasons have resulted in the team ultimately falling below their potential and now there have been increasingly disappointing results as the season reached it’s climax.
A 12-game unbeaten run has given way to two defeats and just two points from the last four matches.
They need to return to winning ways – and fast.
NO EXCUSES THIS TIME
Two seasons ago a calamitous end to the campaign was blamed on injuries and last year the Dons saw start striker Ali Al-Hamadi sold to Ipswich Town in the January window.
But 2025 sees an almost fully-fit squad heading into the last quarter of the season and a January window that saw Browne arrive along with Osman Foyo, who surely should have been involved against Morecambe ahead of Joe Pigott, who looks a shadow of the player he was in his first spell at the club.
If Wimbledon fail to achieve their stated aim of promotion there can be no excuses and nowhere to hide.
MAYCOCK THE ONE BRIGHT SPOT
One positive from this otherwise utterly forgettable night was the return of Callum Maycock to the starting line-up.
The ex-Solihull Moors midfielder had just been hitting his full stride before a long injury lay-off and he seems to be taking up where he left off.
Although Jackson prefers to make like-for-like substitutions the prospect of Maycock and Browne in the same side is as mouth-watering as the prospect of Aron Sasu and Josh Neufville on opposite wings.
It can only be hoped Jackson decides to push the boat out and gives the Dons fans, 98 of whom braved another trip to the freezing Fylde coast, a lot more to cheer about as the season cranks up to a conclusion.
PICTURE: ALAMY