AFC Wimbledon win over Doncaster Rovers sheds new light on 2025/26 - Johnnie Jackson will be buzzing | OneFootball

AFC Wimbledon's most recent league win was certainly eye-opening for all those that had predicted the Dons to struggle this season

The start of the 2025/26 season has been mightily impressive for AFC Wimbledon, with their form being above a lot of expectations from both fans of the club, and pundits and online commentators.

So with a fanbase buzzing with excitement about what is to come, a team loving every minute they play and a manager who describes watching his team as a joy, what can be expected?

Well, their most recent victory against Doncaster Rovers over the weekend showed that there really should be no worries anymore this season, and perhaps those that had the Dons nowhere near the top end of the table should start to maybe think again.

Doncaster Rovers victory shows AFC Wimbledon are here to fight

It had been expected that away games for the Dons this season were always going to be games where points were easily given away and there would be little to no fight.

But as has been proved already this season, that is far from the case, and Saturday's victory made the clearest point yet.

Conceding from a set-piece with a defence as watertight as the Dons has been, was certainly not part of the plans, but the character shown to come back from that disappointment made a real statement of intent, and impressed Johnnie Jackson.

In a post-match interview with the club's media team, the Dons boss spoke at length about his happiness about various areas of the team, but finished by stating: "I'm just excited for the games at the minute, I'm loving watching this team play, I'm loving their mentality, their work ethic, their attitude and also the football that we're playing too."

Having attacked well all game, a set-piece goal of their own and a rare but well-worked capitalisation on a defensive mix-up, proved the character of not only the team as whole, but certain individuals who have perhaps had unfair criticism fired their way.

Ryan Johnson was a name that, over the summer window, some fans would not have minded losing following some rocky performances during his time so far at the club. And considering his contract was up too, there was not too much clamour to get him re-signed.

However, having extended his stay at the club during the summer, and with the performances he has put in since, he is just one example of how much the players at Wimbledon right now are up for the fight.

Scoring on Saturday for the first time in over 700 days was just the latest achievement for Johnson, with him recently receiving a call-up to the Northern Ireland international squad for their recent World Cup qualifiers. Despite not making his debut, being involved following such an impressive return to form following some criticism from fans at the end of last season shows the determination and grit that Jackson has instilled in his players to fight for everything this season.

The Dons' vice-captain was not the only top performer on Saturday that has shown that this Dons squad is made of a very different metal to those that have come before them.

Matty Stevens had plenty of doubters coming into this season having barely found the net at the tail-end of last season, but since the Dons' first home game, there has been little to suggest that League One is a level that Stevens cannot excel at.

Despite not netting a goal at the weekend, his superb workrate and willingness to chase down every opportunity, even if it is not clear-cut, got the Dons their second goal, with him showing calmness usually found in a cultured midfielder to slide the ball to Myles Hippolyte to fire home.

AFC Wimbledon's season will be fruitful if they maintain their current momentum

There is every chance that the players discussed, or, in fact, any other that make up the squad, or even the squad as a whole could see a real dip in form any time soon, as that is ultimately the way football sometimes goes. But if the current momentum is kept up, the potential for success is boundless, and could beat what was achieved only a few months ago.

The Dons are on an upward trajectory once again with three wins on the bounce in all competitions and certainly have the wind in their sails, but dive deeper into the stats, and it is clear to see that there are some fantastic achievements within reach of this squad.

The club has only lost once at home in the league so far this season, 0-1 to Cardiff City, with that loss also resulting in the only goal that has been conceded at Plough Lane, but looking beyond that, there have been no significant worries on home turf.

Rotherham United aside, where the Dons had to once again fight back from a goal down, they have looked in complete control of each and every home game, and as such, they have won three out of four at Plough Lane.

Add to that two victories away from home against a Reading side heavily fancied for promotion this season and the most recent victory in Yorkshire last weekend, the Dons have an impressive five wins on the board already, only one behind the tally they achieved in their last season in League One in 2021/22, showing they are well on their way to beating the drop, and could spring a surprise if they maintain solid home form, and keep springing surprises on their travels.

Their goals per game figure of 1.30, as per FotMob, rank them currently in 12th out of 24 teams, but with six of the current top ten teams in the division having already been played, this figure could climb comfortably, especially if Stevens continues to perform at his current level. Combine that with a goals conceded figure of 1.20 which ranks them ninth, and these are the hallmarks of a team that could be well on it's way to fighting until the end for success this season.

But before getting too carried away with numbers and projections, it has to be said, there are still over 30 games to go this season, and within each of them, events can occur that can very quickly steer this season in a completely different direction.

Therefore, if Jackson wants to continue the current excitement surrounding Wimbledon, every game should now be approached like the strong comeback victory over Donny, and if they indeed are, there will be little to no doubt that 2025/26 will prove to be a very memorable campaign.