AFC Wimbledon look to shatter winless run with low scorers Shrewsbury Town travelling to Plough Lane

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AFC Wimbledon will be looking to end their streak of eight games without a win with a victory against fellow League One strugglers Shrewsbury Town.

The Dons will host the Shrews at Plough Lane this weekend, coming into this fixture off the back of their 2-0 loss at home against promotion-chasing Ipswich Town in midweek.

Saturday’s visitors, who sit 17th in the table and are three spots above their opponents, also are looking to end a winless run of form as well as a stretch of three games on the bounce without scoring a goal. Shrewsbury’s most recent result saw them draw 0-0 on the road against 23rd placed Gillingham.

Wombles have to deal with Ollie Palmer’s departure

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Just a day before their loss to the Tractor Boys on Tuesday night, AFC Wimbledon announced that Ollie Palmer would depart from the club in a permanent transfer to National League side Wrexham. He has been their top goalscorer so far this season with eight goals in all competitions but has now left the club after a year and a half in the capital.

The club said they ‘reluctantly accepted’ an offer of around £300,000 from the Welsh side, who are under the stewardship of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney via the RR McReynolds Company LLC. While the funds brought in through the sale will surely do a world of good off the pitch, their performances on it could take a hit as they try and adapt to life without their star player.

Terry Ablade has joined the club as a loan signing from Fulham to add another option for their now depleted striker position, with the 20-year-old looking to impress in League One on loan from the Premier League chasing Championship side.

Tomas Kalinauskas has also been brought in, arriving from Barnsley to add a more attacking presence in their midfield. Former Portsmouth left-back Lee Brown has also joined the club on a free transfer, after spending three and a half years on the South Coast.

Wimbledon are yet to win a game in all competitions since the opening week of December, with a series of losses and draws seeing them slip from 17th to just one spot above the relegation spots. They were also knocked out of the FA Cup Third Round by non-league side Boreham Wood, losing 2-0 away from home in a ‘cupset’.

In fairness to the Dons, their past three fixtures in the league have all been against teams in the top half of the table, with their 0-0 draw at home to Portsmouth being a decent result for Mark Robinson’s side. Despite this, their league position and run of form could soon be a cause for concern if they are unable to pick up three points against the Shrews.

Shrewsbury on the hunt for goals

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Shrewsbury have failed to score in three games and are the fourth-lowest scorers in the league with just 26 goals scored. Just one point from their matches against Gillingham, Bolton and Crewe Alexandra have ensured they are only four points above the drop zone as they enter the second half of the season.

Like Wimbledon, the Shrews were also knocked out of the FA Cup in the Third Round, only they were up against Liverpool. Daniel Udoh actually gave his side the lead at Anfield, but the Premier League title-chasing Reds were 4-1 victors come full-time.

It was the striker’s 10th goal of the season in all competitions and he continues to top the club’s scoring charts for the campaign, with Ryan Bowman closely behind on nine goals.

Saikou Janneh, whose parent club is Bristol City, is one of two loan arrivals at the club during the January transfer window and arrives as an alternative option up front for Shrewsbury as they search for more goals. Tyrese Fornah provides depth in the midfield as he also joins the club from Nottingham Forest until the end of the season.

Over the past few weeks, they have been in better form when compared to their hosts on Saturday afternoon but, like their opponents, a win is needed ahead of their upcoming run of matches. Shrewsbury will face Wycombe, Plymouth and Portsmouth throughout the five games after their trip to southwest London, all tough opponents who themselves will be looking to drive further up the table.

A win is needed for Wimbledon and Shrewsbury, but with both sides being some of the lowest scorers in the league this season, the result could be decided by the finest of margins on Saturday.

Three points for Wimbledon, who have two games in hand over the Shrews, would see them go level on points with their visitors, whereas victory for Shrewsbury on their travels from Shropshire could see them sit seven points clear of the League One relegation zone.

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