AFC Wimbledon: Port Vale and others should see Notts County as a warning | OneFootball

Despite losing away last weekend, a positive performance should send a message to Port Vale ahead of the Dons next awayday

AFC Wimbledon are about to head into a tough period of constant fixtures, with some of these having the potential of being big games come the end of the season.

And for that reason, the Dons want to maximise the amount of points they earn in these away games, something they have failed to do so far on their travels this season.

However, despite the negative result against Notts County, the performance was hopefully a sign of things to come in fixtures on the road.

AFC Wimbledon's tactical switch-up almost paid off against Notts County

While the end of last season, and the start of the current one, have not been the best for Notts County in terms of consistent results, they do boast an extremely talented squad for League Two.

With the likes of Dan Crowley, Jodi Jones and David McGoldrick all spearheading attacks with insane amounts of quality for the fourth tier, the Magpies now also have a robust backline with Lewis Macari, Matty Platt and former Dons loanee Alex Bass among the best in those areas for the Nottinghamshire side.

However, Wimbledon were able to keep the attacking talent on display over the weekend, which didn't include the injured Jones, fairly quiet, and troubled the defensive set up, which, along with those mentioned, also included former Morecambe defender Jacob Bedeau, a good amount in the first half, with a fair few fans feeling that the Dons should not have been going in at half-time at 0-0.

This was mainly down to the fact that, finally, Johnnie Jackson had let the shackles off his players and allowed them the freedom to play as they do in home fixtures.

In the majority of away games this season, with all players available, Jackson has set up very defensively, forcing his midfield trio to play more rigidly, and keeping forwards that can press well, such as Matty Stevens, on the bench, opting instead for the height of Joe Pigott.

He did not take that approach this time round though, keeping Pigott on the bench, which allowed Matty Stevens the chance to continue his scoring form following his hat-trick against Carlisle United. He also let his midfield three play more openly as well as encouraging a lot more attacking play from his wing backs, something which has not always happened in away games this season.

All this resulted in the Dons having a plethora of chances in and around the box in the first half, far outshining any sort of attacking effort from the home side, but failed to see the side from SW19 register a single goal in the first half.

Then in the second, with County coming out the dressing room with a clear instruction to up their game, the Dons failed to replicate their first half dominance in and around the 18-yard-box and came away from Meadow Lane with a 1-0 loss to their name, but plenty of food for thought.

Notts County performance should be a warning to Port Vale and others in the long-term

The food for thought that both fans, staff and players alike would have come away from Nottingham with is that, with more clinical finishing, and an even bigger amount of confidence, they can easily take the game to any top team they face on the road this season, and make it a really tough game to win for their opposition.

The Dons have already proven they can be solid defensively, with the narrow loss away to Premier League Newcastle United being the best game to highlight that fact, but it is in their bizarrely non-clinical nature when away from Plough Lane that seems to be their Achilles heel.

This is something which will need to change soon if they want to announce themselves as a side challenging at the very top of League Two.

They have shown now that they will create chances, no matter the quality of defence they face, and that it is just going to take improving their away goal tally from just one to really send a message to those sides beginning to move away at the top of the table.

When they face Port Vale this coming weekend, they will be facing yet another side that like to play with a three-man central defence. However, with the hope that the more attacking wingers that Vale select won't be as sound defensively, Wimbledon may just have to replay their first-half performance against Notts, but show a much more ruthless nature in front of goal, to secure a result.

Looking further ahead too, if the Dons can somehow better one of the league's top squads and manager, then they will be sending out a further message to those sitting pretty at the top that they mean business, and will have further success on the road which will make them firm challengers for the title.

With sides such as Gillingham, Chesterfield and Fleetwood all beginning to drop away from the play-offs, now is the perfect time for the Dons to finally step forward with a strong performance away from home and announce themselves as strong opposition for those gunning for promotion this year.

However, it is going to require a big upheaval in form in front of goal for a message to be sent, and that may just start with another performance to be proud of this weekend, just with three points in the bag this time around for Wimbledon to head home with.