League One Matchweek 6 brings AFC Wimbledon and Doncaster together on 12 September 2026, with the visitors sitting in 22nd place on just three points and still without a win, while Wimbledon in 16th know that three points at home would push them into the top half and extend a run of back to back clean sheets.
Johnnie Jackson has been at Wimbledon since May 2022, when he replaced caretaker Mark Bowen, whereas Grant McCann returned to Doncaster in July 2023 for his second spell, taking over from Danny Schofield. The two haven't faced each other enough to establish a meaningful head to head record, so what happens in the next 90 minutes will carry more weight than anything in the archives.
Wimbledon's last five reads W L W D L. The Bromley result was the standout, a clean sheet and two goals away from home, though the two defeats in that run show they can be undone. Doncaster's L D D D L sequence tells a different story: three draws from five shows they've stayed in games but they've shipped eight goals while scoring six and are still waiting for a win. Both sides go into this with no reported absences, so Jackson and McCann each pick from a full squad.
Wimbledon typically use a 3-5-2 and the wing-backs are the engine of it - they push high enough to drag Doncaster's midfield wide, leaving Hippolyte space to drop into rather than running in behind. Myles Hippolyte, the team's top scorer with two goals, links play from those pockets between the lines, while Jayden Stockley holds the line and goes direct, also on two goals.
Doncaster, having conceded eight in five games, look vulnerable once the press is beaten. Jack Senior has scored twice from defence and is a set piece threat worth tracking, while Owen Bailey is the driving force in midfield and Alfie May is the forward whose movement shifts defensive shapes, whether he's dropping deep or making runs in behind.
The contest that matters most is Wimbledon's wing-backs against Doncaster's midfield. If Wimbledon win the second ball and get it to Hippolyte or Stockley early, they bypass Doncaster's build up entirely. If Bailey can stop the second ball reaching Hippolyte, Doncaster stay compact enough to spring May in space.
Doncaster won the reverse fixture 1-0 in January 2026 but Wimbledon have the better of recent meetings overall. Wimbledon's back three gives them an extra body at set pieces and with Senior threatening from the same situations for Doncaster, dead balls could prove decisive.
We're going 1-2 to Doncaster. Their draw record shows they haven't been blown away by anyone yet and the January win proves they can take something from games where they're not dominant. Bailey and May should produce at least one or two clear chances even if Wimbledon's wing-backs pin Doncaster back for long stretches and McCann's side have enough about them to nick it.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
