- Head-to-head: Stockport have won two of the last three head-to-head meetings between the sides while Wimbledon have won one.
- Home form: Stockport have won ten of their 18 home league games this season, scoring 28 goals at Edgeley Park.
- Away form: AFC Wimbledon have won six of their 19 away League One matches, drawing four and losing nine, conceding an average of 1.89 goals per game.
County in the mix
Stockport County have been erratic in their last five League One fixtures, losing two and winning two with a tie in between, but their position remains healthy in fifth with 60 points from 37 games as they seek to bridge the gap to the automatic promotion spots. Their last two fixtures have seen a home 2-1 win over Northampton Town followed by a 1-1 draw away at Luton Town, but the Hatters have been a tough nut to crack since the end of January.
Dave Challinor’s side have been solid enough to suggest a home victory this Saturday, but this will be a good test of their promotion credentials and one they cannot afford to slip up in if they want to go up as champions.
Dons seek mid-table safety
Wimbledon have also been erratic with two wins, a draw and two defeats from their last five League One games. Johnnie Jackson’s side lost consecutive away games against Stevenage and Leyton Orient before earning a 1-1 draw at home to Peterborough United last time out.
Jackson has done a good job with the squad at his disposal and the Dons are in no danger of the drop in 14th place on 50 points from 38 matches. Wimbledon have never won away at Stockport, but the Dons can cause problems by sticking to their game plan on Saturday.
Stockport have the edge
Tactical approaches
County boss Dave Challinor is the more progressive and flexible manager of the two, who has built his team’s recent success on an attack-minded system with plenty of pressing and quick transition play to catch opponents off guard. Johnnie Jackson, on the other hand, is very much a system-first coach who uses his wing-backs to get into the game and his players to play a more conservative style with enough structure to get chances from set pieces and crosses. Challinor’s system has worked well, but the Dons have enough quality in their squad to keep it competitive here.
Betting outlook
The odds seem a bit low on a Stockport victory at 1.62, but the home team should edge a high-scoring affair with both teams on the scoresheet. So, Over 2.5 goals at 1.85 and BTTS - Yes at 1.83 look the best bets.
Challinor’s talisman and Jackson’s targetman
Kyle Wootton is the talisman for County, having scored 17 in 37 League One appearances this term, but Oliver Norwood has been their man in form recently with two in his last five games.
- The Dons’ main threat is Marcus Browne, who has scored 12 times in 34 League One games for the club this season, although both teams have other players capable of making a difference on Saturday.
