BIG MATCH PREVIEW: AFC Wimbledon v Mansfield Town - Saturday, 16th January 2016

After three home games on the bounce, Mansfield Town are once again aiming to beat a play-offs rival for the first time when they head south for a game at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday (3pm).

The Dons are three places and two points behind the Stags, who, in eight place, are just one point off the play-off places.

Click HERE to read an interview with Adam Murray on the game.

Taking no chances with traffic or tiredness, Adam Murray’s men will head to London tomorrow and stay overnight in preparation.

Equally relaxed will be the Dons, who had a blank Saturday last weekend after their Sky Bet League Two clash with Carlisle United was postponed due to the latter’s involvement in the Emirates FA Cup third-round.

Since the Dons did the double over Stags in 2010/11, Mansfield have gone five games unbeaten against the Londoners with a double for the Stags last season and a 1-1 home draw this season.

Stags will need to keep Lyle Taylor under wraps - the striker has scored 10 goals in 19 games this season, though Taylor will have to try to stay on the pitch for 90 minutes this time, having been red-carded in the first meeting between these sides at Mansfield in September for an alleged elbow on Nicky Hunt.

The Dons will be basking in a real feelgood factor around the stadium as, after years of exile, they are celebrating a council decision last month to let the club return back to its native borough of Merton at a new stadium.

It will be a while before work can start, but new stadiums can go up fairly quickly and the club would love to be in there for the start of the 2017/18 season.

Click HERE to see a video on the demise on the original Dons and the birth of the new AFC Wimbledon.

STAGS TEAM NEWS

Things are looking much-improved on the injury front for the Stags with only Mal Benning and Adi Yussuf not in full training.

Chris Beardsley could be back on the bench after seeing a specialist over his continuing shin problem and being given the all-clear.

Murray is unlikely to change anything at the back or drop Matt Green, so his biggest dilemma is who to play in midfield with Reggie Lambe, Matty Blair and Mitch Rose all left on the bench last weekend.

This will be the last game of left back Blair Adams’ loan spell from Notts County and the two clubs are in talks about his future.

Stags want to keep him permanently while new Notts boss Jamie Fullarton wants to give Adams a fresh chance at Meadow Lane.

AFC WIMBLEDON TEAM NEWS

There are no real injuries worries either for the Dons and no movement as yet in the transfer window.

The only real decision may be whether to start again with giant striker Adi Akinfenwa, a huge, solid target man but increasingly less mobile, or the pace of Adebayo Azeez, who celebrated his 22nd birthday last week.

No players have come in as yet in January and there hasn’t really been much speculation on players leaving.

Having played for a lot of clubs and being top scorer, most likely to be on the move would be striker Lyall Taylor, though no one has come forward for him yet.

Also, keeper James Shea, who has only just come back after missing much of the season so far with a shoulder dislocation, is a decent prospect and worth a punt for a club from a higher level looking for a good up and coming goalkeeper.

POSSIBLE DONS LINE-UP

Shea

Fuller

Robinson

Osborne

Meades

Barcham

Bulman

Reeves

Francomb

Taylor

Akinfenwa

KEY BATTLE: ADI AKINFENWA v KRYSTIAN PEARCE

Chances are the Dons will start with man-mountain Adi Akinfenwa up front which will present a huge problem for the Stags’ central defence in more ways than one.

But Krystian Pearce has been one of Stags’ most consistent performers all season and will be relishing the challenge and preparing to nurse a few bruises on the way home.

Click HERE to see a compilation of Akinfenwa moments

AFC WIMBLEDON ONE TO WATCH

He may not make many of the headlines, but Jake Reeves, 22, is the one who makes the midfield tick for the Dons.

The former Spurs youth player is a tireless box to box player who, while not scoring goals, has so much energy and gets through so much donkey work.

OPPOSITION MANAGER: NEIL ARDLEY

Neil Ardley is a club legend at AFC Wimbledon, having been signed by the Dons straight from school and going on to make 245 appearances for them in midfield.

An England U21 international, he went on to play for Watford, Cardiff and Millwall before retiring with injury.

Ardley had started preparing for a manager’s role at the early age of 24, when he took his first coaching badges before completing his training for the UEFA Pro coaching qualification in 2010.

He took his first coaching role as manager of the Cardiff City Academy and impressed in the role over five years before being appointed Dons manager in October 2012.

With his links with Cardiff City Academy, Ardley has brought in players from there.

He is respected by the players and seems to have a united dressing room.

The football they play can sometimes look scruffy and best described as ‘up and at em’, quick but not quite route one though that does happen sometimes when Adi Akinfenwa is up front.

AFC WIMBLEDON SEASON SO FAR

Don’s season so far has been bitty and inconsistent. But they are hoping two draws and two wins over the Festive period can be used as a springboard for a serious play-offs challenge.

Neil Ardley looked to have assembled a good squad in the summer, but they have taken their time gelling, only once winning more then two in a row back in October.

Indeed, before the last two games they had not won in eight games, including an FA Cup game.

But two successive wins, 2-0 at Exeter and a fabulous 4-1 success at Cambridge have put a much rosier look on their recent record, with only one loss in six.

The Dons will be refreshed after a weekend without action and look to have the ingredients for a genuine play-off push.

The Dons are 11th, two points adrift of Mansfield and have a decent away record of five wins and six draws with only two away losses at Oxford and Luton.

They began with just two wins in their first five in August and added just one more win from five matches in September before their season got going with four wins from six October games.

However, then came that eight-game winless slump before the recent upturn in form.

LAST MEETING

Saturday, 5th September 2015: Mansfield Town 1, AFC Wimbledon 1

Mansfield Town had to be content with a third successive 1-1 home draw as they were held by AFC Wimbledon in September.

That left Stags still looking for their first home win.

The visitors ended the game with 10 men when sub Lyle Taylor was sent off for an elbow on Nicky Hunt in the fourth minute of stoppage time. But it came too late to make a difference.

A slow start by Mansfield saw Tom Elliott grab a sixth minute lead only to see Chris Clements level with a superb 15th minute free kick.

That sparked Stags into life and they created some decent chances, twice seeing efforts cleared off the line and Ryan Tafazolli missing a great headed opportunity.

But as the game wore on, it was Brian Jensen who was the busier of the two keepers with Matt Green often isolated on his own up front and given poor service all game.

Mansfield’s best moments came through the vision and tenacity of Chris Clements. But it took some excellent defending from Tafazolli and Krystian Pearce to maintain a point in the end.

Click HERE to read a report of the match-preview

Click HERE to see highlights of the game

DESTINATION ROUTE AND TICKET PRICES

The club is based at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, Jack Goodchild Way, 422a Kingston Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 3PB, a ground they share with Kingstonian FC.

M25 Junction 10, take the A3 northbound into London. At the exit for New Malden/Worcester Park, turn off and take the left into Malden Road (A2043) towards Kingston Follow this to the next roundabout.

Take the first exit into Kingston Road (A2043 still) and the stadium is one mile on the left.

Parking at AFC Wimbledon is free on a first come, first served basis with space for up to 350 cars.

A total of 32 spaces are reserved for disabled people. This offers priority, but not a guarantee of a parking space for those people with disabled blue badges.

There is also parking in residential areas nearby, though supporters are asked to be considerate when doing this.

The ground is particularly well located for public transport. The nearest train station is Norbiton, approximately 15 minutes walk away, with trains running regularly from London Waterloo.

The 131 bus stops outside the stadium and runs from both Wimbledon train station and Kingston town centre.

The stadium has a capacity of just over 5,000 with over 2,000 seats in the Paul Strank Stand and the John Green Stand.

The majority of visiting supporters are located in the Your Golf Travel Terrace, which is segregated into home and away sections. This terrace can accommodate up to 650 away fans.

The Dons also have room for between 94 and 202 (depending on expected following) visiting supporters to be seated.

You can gain entry to both of the away sections via the access road off Kingston Road.

AFC Wimbledon will decide on a match-by-match basis if away supporters are allowed into the bars at the stadium. Information on this will be posted onto their official website the day before the game in the match arrangements news item.

Tickets can be bought in advance from the Mansfield Town ticket office or pay on the gate on the day of the game.

Tickets are available over the phone or in person from the ticket office on Quarry Lane.

John Green Stand (seating): Adults: £20, Concessions (Over 65s and students with valid ID): £13, Under 18s: £9

Your Golf Travel Terrace (standing): Adults: £16, Concessions (Over 65s and students with valid ID): £10, Under 18s: £4

The One Call Stadium ticket office will stop selling tickets at 4pm this Friday, though after fans can pay on the gate at The Cherry Red Records Stadium.