TABLE-TOPPING AFC Wimbledon could be forgiven for feeling travel weary when they take on York City at Bootham Crescent this evening.

The Dons will be facing their fourth night match on the road in 16 days, clocking up almost 2,000 miles in that time with visits to Fleetwood, Bath and Gateshead preceding their clash against the Minstermen.

Wimbledon won 2-0 at Gateshead in their last outing – a televised contest on Friday – having drawn against Fleetwood (1-1) and Bath (2-2) in their previous away matches.

But manager Terry Brown is now worried about the toll such a punishing schedule might be having on his depleted squad.

The Kingsmeadow Stadium outfit were only able to name four substitutes at Gateshead with Sammy Moore, Ed Harris and Kirk Hudson joining Brett Johnson on the sidelines.

Ahead of tonight’s game, the crocked quartet remain doubtful and Brown said: “It seems like we are on the road non-stop.

“We cannot train and are having to fit everything around the coach journeys. Our workload is absolutely ridiculous to be honest.

“For us to be successful at this stage of the season the key is to have a settled side but that is proving almost impossible as the demands are far too great on the club.”

Wimbledon’s form on their travels remains impressive, however, with a 2-0 defeat at Barrow in mid-November the only defeat in 11 away fixtures.

That match also represents the last time Brown’s men were beaten in the league – a ten-game unbeaten sequence incorporating five wins and five draws.

Friday’s win moved them two points above Crawley although the Sussex side have four games in hand.

The Dons are also the division’s highest marksmen with 55 goals while captain and former Grays striker Danny Kedwell leads the way in the individual stakes on 17.

Defensively, though, the Wombles have conceded more times than any other side in the top five with Brown moving to address that situation by recruiting experienced pair Jamie Stuart and Gareth Gwillim from Rushden and Dagenham respectively during the transfer window.

Team (probable): Brown, Hatton, Yakubu, Stuart, Gwillim, Mulley, Gregory, Yussuff, L Moore, Kedwell, Jolley.


Match facts

AFC Wimbledon’s only previous visit to Bootham Crescent on April 7, 2010, ended in a 5-0 defeat.

Richard Brodie hit a first half hat-trick and Michael Rankine scored twice. City’s line-up was: Ingham, Purkiss, McGurk, Graham, Meredith, Lawless (Smith), Mackin, Barrett (Harsley), Carruthers, Brodie (Gash), Rankine.

The original Wimbledon club made four Fourth Division visits in the Football League (1978 to 1982) winning three times and drawing once.

It happened on February 1

1936: City suffered their heaviest ever defeat when they went down 12-0 at Chester. They were in the bottom half of the Third Division North.

1947: Alf Patrick (2) and Billy Allen scored in a 3-0 home win over Hull City watched by 7,099 and City were 16th in the Northern Section. City were not in action again until March 22 owing to Arctic weather.

1956: In front of 43,928 at Roker Park on a Wednesday afternoon City lost 2-1 to First Division (Premier) Sunderland in a fourth round FA Cup replay. Billy Fenton was the scorer.

1958: A 3-0 defeat at Bootham Crescent at the hands of Accrington Stanley with Syd Storey scoring one of the visitors’ goals. The attendance was 7,896.

1971: In a fourth round FA Cup replay, City lost 3-2 at First Division (Premier) Southampton. Paul Aimson and Albert Johanneson were the marksmen and the crowd at The Dell was 25,034.

Compiled by Dave Batters