The lowdown on AFC Wimbledon 0 Chesterfield 0 – Dons move point closer to securing play-offs but must win Monday to keep automatic hopes alive

19 April 2025 Edmund Brack

AFC Wimbledon moved a point closer to securing a play-off spot as they drew 0-0 with Chesterfield on Easter Friday.

Here is the lowdown on the match:

THE LINE-UPS

Dons: Goodman, Neufville, Johnson (Hutchinson 45), Lewis, Harbottle, Tilley, Maycock, Smith, Kelly (Sasu 61), Stevens (Foyo 61), Bugiel (Pigott 74).

Subs not used: Ward, Ball, Ogundere.

Chesterfield: Boot, Naylor, Araujo (Gordon 60), Mandeville, Fleck, Palmer, McFadzean, Metcalfe, Pepple (Colclough 60), Banks (Madden 43), Olakigbe (Grigg 81).

Subs not used: Thompson, Grimes, Duffy.

SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME

The visitors started the better of the two sides, with Michael Olakigbe and Aribim Pepple both taking aim at Owen Goodman’s goal in the first 10 minutes.

AFC Wimbledon v Chesterfield SkyBet League Two, Plough Lane, 18 April 2025
Picture: Keith Gillard

Tielly should have given the Dons the lead in the 22nd minute when he arrived onto Nuefville’s cross along the face of the box, but he ballooned his left-footed shot wide of Ryan Boot’s goal.

Josh Kelly then went close on the half-hour mark when he tested Boot after linking up well with Bugiel inside the penalty area.

Bugiel thought he had given Jackson’s side the lead just before half-time when he met a header inside the area, but his effort stung the palms of Boot and Smith was unable to apply the finish on the rebound.

Neither side had a real clear-cut effort on goal in the second half, with Alistair Smith testing Boot from distance in the 83rd minute a chance of note.

TACTICAL APPROACH

Jackson lined up with the same formation that he had done throughout the season, with Nuefville and Tilley playing as wing-backs in a back five.

Callum Maycok came in for the suspended Jake Reeves, with Josh Kelly and Matty Stevens lining up behind Omar Bugiel.

Aron Sasu and Osman Foyo moved behind Bugiel after 60 minutes, but neither could have a real impact in finding the back of the net.

Jackson brought Joe Pigott on as he searched to find a winner in a tight contest, but their route to goal was still blocked.

STAR MAN

Olakibe. Was a constant threat for Paul Cook’s side and is the sort of tricky and direct winger that every side needs.

BEST MOMENT

Full time. It was far from a classic or end-to-end free-flowing football that set the start of your Easter weekend alight.

It was two very defensively sound teams up against each other, with Chesterfield still having an outside chance of sneaking into the play-offs.

It could have been a dress rehearsal for potentially two games at the end of the season.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

Lack of magic to unlock the visitors.

The January signing of Marcus Browne brought a creative spark in the middle of the pitch to help create chances for Matty Stevens, with the former Oxford attacker also helping himself to goals along the way.

Kelly and Bugiel work hard for the team, but in the search for three points, Browne’s absence was particularly noted.

A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB

It is looking like the play-offs.

The top of League Two are playing the most aggressive game of pass the parcel with the title, with no side running away and current leaders Port Vale losing at relegation candidates Carlisle on Friday.

The Dons are four points off third–placed Bradford and must beat Gillingham, who have nothing mathematically to play for now, on Monday to keep their chances of straight promotion alive.

WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY

“We were never going to blow this team away. We pushed and we tried to win it.

“I can’t be disappointed with the lads. We wanted to win the game to put ourselves in a better position, but with three games to go, we’re still in it and fighting for the automatic spots.