AFC Wimbledon’s strongest weapon is proving a big problem for Notts County so far | OneFootball

The Dons' strong defence is proving to be a great weapon to use against Notts County's talented attack

It was very much a job well done for AFC Wimbledon after a smash-and-grab win away at Notts County over the weekend, but they have more than just their goalscorer to thank.

All season long, the Dons' defence has been their standout unit, even when Matty Stevens was smashing home all of his 17 league goals this campaign.

And now with the Magpies requiring an all-out attack approach for the upcoming second leg, Wimbledon's watertight defence, which has already caused much frustration for Notts, is set to do so again as the club from South West London look to secure a date at Wembley.

AFC Wimbledon's defence played a crucial part in the first-leg victory at Notts County

The first leg of the League Two play-offs was always going to be a tight affair, but had it not been for the Dons' determined defensive unit, it may have all been over before the overall tie had even kicked into life.

Owen Goodman made two spectacular saves in both halves before Riley Harbottle first made a goal-saving tackle to block Alassana Jatta and then netted his first Wimbledon goal. Then, following an onslaught of attacks from Notts County, Josh Neufville made an excellent clearance from a Conor Grant shot and preserved the Dons' clean sheet.

And while this quickly sums up how well the Dons defended in this potentially pivotal first leg, the entire season proves that this area of the team in particular is truly the strongest weapon that Johnnie Jackson has to deploy.

Looking back at the entire season, Wimbledon have been hard to break down, staying very tight on the wings with the likes of James Tilley and the aforementioned Neufville playing particularly well in positions that were new to them at the start of the campaign, as well as not conceding too many chances when teams look to go through the middle either thanks to a compact back-three and tidy, efficient work by the midfielders of choice.

Which is really evident when looking at the underlying numbers for teams' defensive stats this season. Wimbledon performed highly in some crucial areas, which truly highlights how much the team has developed into a brilliant mix of defence and attack.

And this rigorous training looks to have paid off, as the likes of David McGoldrick and Jodi Jones failed to be truly creative, with McGoldrick being the only one out of the pair to be credited with creating big chances, as per FotMob, and Jones' only moment to note being when he struck the base of Goodman's post in the second half.

Add to that the fact that all three centre-backs, though mainly Joe Lewis and Riley Harbottle, managed to keep Jatta quiet all match, and that it was in fact a defender that notched Wimbledon's, and the game's, only goal, and it goes to show that while he may have caught a fair bit of flack online for being too defensive in the regular season, Johnnie Jackson has actually played his cards brilliantly and has perfected the formula for getting his team playing well and securing the results needed.

Defensive solidity may just see Wimbledon go all the way in the play-offs

While it does still remain a lottery at this stage of the play-offs, judging by the way all four teams played in their first legs, it's more than fair to say that if the Dons' defence stays as solid as it was in that first leg, there is no reason why they won't go all the way.

They firstly hold home advantage for the upcoming second leg and, while there is the danger that County do, statistically, play better away from home, the last time the Pies came to London they were dominated and outclassed in a 2-0 victory for the boys in yellow and blue. Meaning it may just be the case that the Dons have another trip to Wembley less than ten years after their first as an EFL club.

Then on the subject of Wembley, if it is Walsall that Wimbledon go on to face at Wembley, which looks likely given their result over Chesterfield, they may just triumph over the Saddlers too.

In their first-leg victory away to the Spireites, the side from Birmingham sat in, let Paul Cook's side have the possession they usually do and sprung well on the counter-attack, which is a little different to the approach they've adopted against the Dons this season.

In their two matches this season so far, Wimbledon have let Walsall play much more expansively, allowing them a lot of chances to get shots away and create a somewhat dominant xG in both games, in comparison to what Wimbledon have been able to muster.

Now taking in Wembley's wide pitch, this may suit Walsall more in terms of attacking, but it may also aid the Dons' defence as if they can remain as solid as they have been, there is a real chance they could deploy an efficient counter-attacking setup that could exploit Walsall's openness, which, given the talent they do have up top in Matty Stevens, could spell a great day for all those of Wimbledon perspective.

Of course, this is all looking into the future with the rosiest of tinted glasses as, firstly, Wimbledon have to not only replicate their away performance now back at home, they also have to set a marker for how dangerous their attack can be ahead of travelling to Wembley.

If they do that and utilise their strongest weapon to defeat Notts County, not only will it have caused the Magpies all sorts of problems over all four of their games this season, it will likely go on to cause more problems for the side they could go on to face at Wembley.