Two teams enjoying successful campaigns to date will lock horns for an intriguing League Two encounter on Friday evening, with Crawley Town welcoming AFC Wimbledon to the Broadfield Stadium.
Crawley are currently 13th in the League Two table, boasting 30 points from their opening 21 matches of the campaign, while AFC Wimbledon sit in seventh on 32 points from their 21 league fixtures this term.
Match preview
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Crawley have been absent from League One since the 2014-15 campaign, and they finished down in 22nd position in League Two last season, just three points clear of the relegation zone.
The Red Devils are in a better place this term, though, with a solid campaign to date seeing them pick up 30 points from 21 matches courtesy of a record of nine wins, three draws and nine defeats.
Scott Lindsey's side are 13th in the League Two table, just two points behind seventh-placed AFC Wimbledon, and they have been victorious in three of their last five matches in all competitions.
Crawley will enter this game off the back of a defeat, though, going down 3-1 at home to Mansfield Town on Saturday, with the visitors to West Sussex proving to be too strong on the afternoon.
The Red Devils will be aiming to make it back-to-back wins over AFC Wimbledon on Friday following their 1-0 success when the two teams last locked horns in March.
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AFC Wimbledon, meanwhile, will bring a four-game unbeaten run into this match, including a 5-2 win over Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night.
The Dons are also through to the third round of the FA Cup, where they will face Championship outfit Ipswich Town on January 6, courtesy of a 5-0 win over Ramsgate at the start of December.
Johnnie Jackson's side have picked up four points from their last two league games, thumping Swindon Town 4-0 on December 9 before drawing 0-0 away to Salford City last time out.
AFC Wimbledon finished 21st in League Two last season but are currently up in seventh position, winning eight, drawing eight and losing five of their 21 league games this term to collect 32 points.
Jackson's side are eight points behind third-placed Wrexham, and their success this season has been built on a strong defensive record, which has seen them concede just 22 times.
Team News
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Crawley will be without the services of Jay Williams through suspension, with the defender sent off in the 3-1 home loss to Mansfield last time out.
As a result, there could be a spot in the XI for Travis Johnson, with head coach Lindsay needing to make at least one change to the side that started the last match.
Danilo Orsi has been comfortably the team's main source of goals in the league this season, finding the back of the net on nine occasions, and he will continue in the final third of the field.
As for AFC Wimbledon, head coach Jackson could name the same side that took to the field for the goalless draw with Salford in the league last weekend.
A number of squad players were given chances to impress against Portsmouth in the EFL Trophy, and there were a number of strong performers in the team's 5-2 success, but the big-hitters will be back here.
Ali Al Hamadi has scored 10 times in League Two during the 2023-24 campaign, and the 21-year-old will again feature in the final third of the field.
Crawley Town possible starting lineup:
Ashby-Hammond; Johnson, Conroy, Maguire; Gordon, Kelly, Wright, Gladwin, Tsaroulla; Orsi, Campbell
AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Bass; Biler, Lewis, Johnson, Currie; Neufville, Reeves, Little, Lemonheigh-Evans; Bugiel, Al Hamadi
We say: Crawley Town 1-1 AFC Wimbledon
This is a really tough match to call, as both sides will enter the contest in strong form. Crawley have home advantage, but AFC Wimbledon are playing some excellent stuff at the moment, and we are therefore finding it difficult to separate the two teams in this contest.
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Top tip
Matt Law
