Colchester United will take on AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane on Friday 29th December (KO 7:45pm) in what will be the U’s last match of the year.
Matty Etherington’s men were unfortunate not to walk away with a point from Milton Keynes three days ago with the hosts securing their victory in the eighty-ninth minute before Tom Hopper had a goal disallowed for a tight offside well into added time.
The U’s will now be hoping to bounce back when they travel to south-west London to face promotion-chasing Dons.
The Opposition
AFC Wimbledon currently occupy the eighth place in the league table having amassed thirty-five points from twenty-three games.
In comparison, Colchester sit twenty-second on twenty-three points from twenty-four games.
The Dons are just a point behind the last play-off guaranteeing place, which is currently occupied by MK Dons.
Johnnie Jackson’s men were on a good run of form before their first festive fixture, winning two out of their last three games and drawing once.
The Dons, however, succumbed to a somewhat surprising 1-0 home defeat to Sutton United on Boxing Day, considering the league standings.
Speaking after the loss, Jackson said: “A lot of disappointment and frustration. We dropped below the standards that we’ve been setting throughout the season. We came away from our levels and the good stuff we’ve been doing. That’s the biggest disappointment for me.”
He added: “This group won’t wallow in defeat, it’s not what they’re about. We’ll be in tomorrow to work and prepare for Colchester. The beauty of football is that we have a chance to put things right in just three days’ time. This one stings – my players are hurting and I certainly am.”
The Dons will need to rely on a couple of important players on Friday night if they wish to bounce back. One of them will be young defender Jack Currie.
The twenty-one-year-old has helped his side keep six clean sheets in seventeen matches, also adding a goal.
The biggest threat, however, should come from Ali Al-Hamadi [pictured above] with the twenty-one-year-old forward having sixteen goal contributions in twenty-one league outings – eleven goals and five assists.
Last Time We Met
James Tilley’s brace secured a 2-0 victory for the Dons at the JobServe Community Stadium on 15th August. In a game that saw seven yellow cards, Wimbledon dominated both halves but only managed to find the net in the second forty-five minutes.
Ticket Info
Tickets are only available to purchase via the Wimbledon's ticketing website - click HERE to get yours.
iFollow
If you can't make it to the game on Friday night, you can watch the U’s live on iFollow with a £10 Match Pass.
An iFollow Pass includes a full live stream of the game, as well as commentary from our radio partners at BBC Essex - click HERE to get yours.
