WIMBLEDON v HARTLEPOOL – Pick: 1 – 23 August 2014

Wombles to win the Pools

League One/Two Tips

Football – England – League Two

Saturday 23rd August 2014 – Kickoff: 1500hrs

Neal Ardley’s AFC Wimbledon have started well in their new League Two campaign as they currently sit in fifth place with just three league matches played.

Wimbledon still remain unbeaten though and they opened their season with a 2-2 draw against Shrewsbury Town who are among one of the favourites for promotion this season. However, it could have very easily been a three point haul for The Wombles as they were 2-1 up with 6 minutes remaining.

A first round exit in the Capital One Cup away at arch-rivals MK Dons 1-3 was a bitter pill to swallow but in all reality, AFC Wimbledon wouldn’t have pinned serious hopes on progressing any further than the second round anyway. Ambitions are more realistically targeting a possible play-off spot this season on the back of some solid acquisitions during the summer.

Experienced midfielder Bulman signed from Crawley Town will add steel to the midfield, along with creative Rigg from Oxford United and strikers Akinfenwa (Gillingham) and Tubbs (on loan from Bournemouth) – Tubbs has chipped in already with 2 goals.

Wimbledon head into today’s match on the back of two straight 1-0 away wins at Luton Town and Southend United respectively.

 

Visitors Hartlepool United have started their new season in poor fashion and have in fact lost their last six matches straight which includes pre-season matches, league cup and league matches.

Looking at their League Two form and The Pools have lost their last four on the trot with home defeats to Exeter City 0-2, Bury 0-2 and Dagenham & Redbridge also by a 0- 2 scoreline. They lost their opening away match at Stevenage 0-1, and face an in-form Wimbledon this afternoon who could cause them plenty of problems.

The one thing you’ll notice straight away in Hartlepool’s recent results are their lack of goals – they’ve drawn a blank in their last four league matches in fact. The introduction of much-travelled striker Marlon Harewood from Bristol City was supposed to inject an increase in goals but Harewood scored just 3 goals in his 19 matches for Pools last season.

 

Wimbledon will be looking for a third successive league win here and given Hartlepool’s current morale, I’ll back The Wombles to do just that with perhaps a 2-0 win – Tubbs anytime goalscorer option also appeals.

Pick: AFC Wimbledon straight win @ 1.95 bet365