Accrington Stanley may provide answer to growing AFC Wimbledon problem | OneFootball

The Dons' top scorer Matty Stevens is struggling for form at the moment, but a trip to Lancashire could provide the solution to his scoring problem

While it has been a quiet January for AFC Wimbledon in terms of transfers, last month was also quiet for one of their star players this season.

Striker Matty Stevens, who is the Dons' top goalscorer this season with 17 goals in all competitions, only found the net once last month, in the win over Tranmere Rovers.

Now, while his current barren run only stretches to three games, the promotion chasers will be desperate to see him get back in the goals so a trip to out-of-form opponents Accrington Stanley this weekend may just be the medicine that the doctor ordered to cure this quiet spell.

Matty Stevens' goalless run could create problems for AFC Wimbledon

Naturally, the loss of regular goals is going to hurt a team – especially when there are limited options to pick up the slack.

Wimbledon do have others that have stepped up and scored goals in the tight games they have found themselves in, namely their pair of wing-backs, James Tilley and Josh Neufville, in recent games.

The problem that Stevens' dry spell is creating for the Dons is that their current first-choice forward line risks becoming a little ineffective and predictable given the other options have struggled to find the net regularly.

Omar Bugiel is quite often found to be a late arrival into the box, which is understandable and fine when you factor in his contributions further back on the pitch, but not ideal when the aforementioned wing-backs are starting to become masters in their playmaking abilities.

And, as good as Josh Kelly has been in recent weeks, creating dangerous attacks out of nothing with his pace and dribbling skills finally coming to the fore, his form in front of goal is, unfortunately, not without scrutiny.

If their goalscoring issues were to continue, it may well harm the Dons' promotion push and could force Johnnie Jackson into a tactical change that moves away from what has, up until recently, been so successful.

In a tight race at the top of League Two, Wimbledon will not want to face that fate. It's too soon to suggest Stevens' dry spell is a big problem but the longer it goes on, the more concern will grow.

With that in mind, a trip to struggling Accrington could be just the tonic.

Accrington Stanley are the perfect opposition for Matty Stevens to fix his form

At a time when a small minority of voices around Wimbledon's fanbase are starting to doubt Stevens, Saturday's game should provide him with the perfect opportunity to respond.

Accrington are locked in a relegation battle and have struggled against the division's better-performing clubs this term. They lost to the 10 men of Port Vale last weekend, have been outclassed by both Notts County and Salford City in recent months while Grimsby Town put five past them in December.

They have also had a rejig in their defensive unit over the past few weeks too, and, on occasion, have looked weaker because of it while they boast one of worst defensive records in the fourth tier – having conceded 45 times in 27 games.

The hosts shouldn't be underestimated, having earned a 2-2 draw at Plough Lane earlier this season, but Stevens will be relishing the opportunity to put his recent goalscoring problems to bed this weekend. If he can, it might prove to be a huge moment in Wimbledon's promotion push.