Notts County vs AFC Wimbledon Prediction: 13/2 First Goalscorer Tip, Team News & More
The first League Two playoff semi-final takes place on Saturday as Notts County welcome AFC Wimbledon to Meadow Lane at 8pm BST, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
Both teams were engaged in the fierce battle for automatic promotion from League Two earlier this season but have had to settle for the playoffs and they are hard to split in this first leg.
Notts County finished the season with an underwhelming 2-1 home defeat to Doncaster, a result which crowned Rovers as champions, while AFC Wimbledon secured their playoff spot with a 1-0 win over Grimsby.
Notts County vs AFC Wimbledon Prediction
Notts County vs AFC Wimbledon Betting Tips
This playoff tie pits one of the league's best attacks against the tightest defence and there could be value in backing goals at Meadow Lane.
AFC Wimbledon have built their playoff push on a watertight defence, conceding only 35 goals in 46 matches this season.
But they finished the campaign with just two clean sheets in their last five games and they could be pushed into a more open encounter by top-heavy Notts County.
County's goals-conceded tally of 49 was worse than Colchester in 10th, Crewe in 13th and even Gillingham in 17th but they compensated with goals at the other end.
Alassana Jatta and David McGoldrick scored a combined 36 goals in League Two this season and, looking to establish an advantage in the home leg, County should play on the front foot in this game.
AFC Wimbledon may indeed be forced to come out of their shell and with neither side in good form, over 2.5 goals looks the best bet, having clicked in four of Notts County's last five matches.
One player who should benefit from a more open game is veteran forward David McGoldrick.
The 37-year-old has shown that even at his age he is too good for this level, scoring 17 goals in 35 appearances in League Two.
Indeed, he is averaging a goal every 150 minutes in the league and he can often be a man for the big occasion.
If this is a free-flowing contest, he should make the most of his opportunities but if it turns out to be cagey, he knows how to unlock the door with a bit of magic or a goal from distance.
At 13/2, he is a value pick to score the first goal of this weekend's playoff semi-final first leg.
Notts County vs AFC Wimbledon Team News
The hosts are expected to reintroduce veteran forward McGoldrick to the starting lineup after injury meant he was on the bench against Doncaster.
Myles Hippolyte was used as a substitute for AFC Wimbledon against Grimsby on the final day and he could come into the starting lineup.
The lineups for Notts County vs AFC Wimbledon will be displayed below approximately one hour before kick-off.
| # | Starting XI | Fouls | Goals | Shots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Michael Bass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Jacob Mitchell Bedeau | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Matthew James Platt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Lewis Jon Macari | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Samuel Joseph Austin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Matthew Thomas Palmer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | George David Abbott | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Jodi Jay Felice Jones | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | David James McGoldrick | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Conor Michael Grant | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Alassana Jatta | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| # | Substitutes | Fouls | Goals | Shots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Curtis Edwards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | William Jarvis | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Rodney Troy McDonald | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Tyler Austin Miller | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Scott Robertson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Maï Traoré | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Charlie Whitaker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| # | Starting XI | Fouls | Goals | Shots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owen Olamidayo Goodman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Ryan Anthony Johnson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Joe Cameron Lewis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Riley-Jay Harbottle | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Josh Neufville | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Myles Elliot Zach Hippolyte | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Jake Kenny Reeves | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Alistair Oluwashaun Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | James Alexander David Tilley | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Mathew Antony Stevens | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Marcus Browne | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| # | Substitutes | Fouls | Goals | Shots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Walter James Byrne Furlong | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Omar Khaled Chaaban | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Isaac Ogundere | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Josh Kelly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Callum Maycock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Aron Sasu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Lewis Moore Ward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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