Notts County overturning AFC Wimbledon defeat may rest on David McGoldrick news | OneFootball

The Mgapies desperately need their star man to be fit and firing for the second leg.

While Notts County are very much still in their play-off semi-final tie with AFC Wimbledon ahead of Saturday’s second leg, there is definitely an argument that things couldn’t have gone much worse for them in the first leg.

The Magpies were defeated 1-0 on home turf, in a game that saw them spurn several big chances to find the back of the net. Then, in stoppage time, their misery was compounded by star man David McGoldrick going off with an injury, before Alassana Jatta was then sent off.

With Jatta’s dismissal highly unlikely to be overturned, it could leave Notts badly short of options in the final third.

Their hopes of a comeback in the second leg may rest heavily on McGoldrick’s level of fitness. If he is unable to lead the line for the Magpies, then what is already an uphill task will become a mountain for them to climb.

McGoldrick is irreplaceable for Notts

With the way that McGoldrick has performed this season for Notts, there is simply no man who would be more solely missed on Saturday than the veteran attacker.

After showing flashes of his brilliance last term, but ultimately fading out in the second half of the campaign, the former Sheffield United and Derby County man has been outstanding for Stuart Maynard’s side all season long this time around.

Despite turning 37 back in November, McGoldrick has shouldered the burden to create for Notts almost on his own at times. With 17 goals to his name, the former Irish international earned himself a place in League Two's Team of the Season, while only Jatta and Bromley’s Michael Cheek ended the year with more League Two goals.

Several of those strikes have showcased the sheer quality that the former Magpies academy graduate possesses. His delicious curling effort in the draw away at Bradford won the club’s Goal of the Season award, but he also had three other goals up for nomination, which would all have been worthy winners.

The striker is a huge influence on this Notts team, something which is highlighted by the fact that he claimed all three of the club’s end-of-season awards recently.

Without him, Maynard’s side are significantly less threatening in and around the opposition box.

With that in mind, the scenes from last Saturday night become even more concerning.

McGoldrick was replaced by Mai Traore in stoppage time, before the TV cameras caught him with an ice-pack attached to his upper thigh while shaking hands after the game.

Maynard initially suggested in his post-match interview that his first impression was that it was just cramp, but with the frontman’s age, it’s certainly possible that there could be a deeper issue.

Notts could find themselves badly short of options

Alongside the fact that Notts do not have another player capable of producing the same level of quality as McGoldrick, his injury could also not have come at a worse time for the team.

With Jatta’s suspension highly likely to be upheld for the second leg, it could leave Maynard and his coaching staff desperately short of options in the final third.

Jatta was controversially given his marching orders deep into added time for a lunging challenge on Alistair Smith, and, although replays have since shown him to have won the ball, his reaction arguably warranted a red card regardless.

The Gambian raised his arm into the face of Josh Neufville, an action which would have made any potential appeal from Notts seem pointless.

As a result, the Magpies are relying heavily on positive news from McGoldrick’s injury situation to ensure that hope remains of pulling off an upset in South-West London.

If the 37-year-old is unable to feature, then Maynard would have to turn to one of Traore or Junior Morias to lead the line for his side.

Traore has played limited minutes since his move from Norwegian side Frederikstad in January, and is yet to notch his first goal in English football.

Meanwhile, Morias, who has ironically already scored at Plough Lane this season (for Dagenham and Redbridge in an FA Cup tie), hasn’t made a competitive appearance for the club since he was recalled from his loan at Woking in the middle of March.

While the duo would both bring additional pace to spearhead the Magpies, neither can produce moments of magic to the level that McGoldrick can. They also both lack the physical presence that will be required to hold the ball up, against what is likely to be three imposing centre halves for the Dons once again.

Notts have never won away at Wimbledon, and if they are to get the result that they need to keep their season alive on Saturday, then they will desperately need McGoldrick to be fit enough to start.