The loss of Ayoub Assal in the January transfer window has brought fresh challenges for Johnnie Jackson’s AFC Wimbledon at a time when the Dons’ attack was just starting to click.
Cutting inside from the left wing and shooting more, Jackson had moulded Assal into a serious threat and the side’s main attacking protagonist.
Crucial goals against Leyton Orient, Crewe and Tranmere secured important victories to transform a season that was flirting with the possibility of a relegation fight to one where the Play-Offs were a real possibility.
The 21-year-old’s form also elevated those around him with chances being created for forward Josh Davison while his tricky feet were winning free-kicks in areas that his opposite winger, Ethan Chislett, could capitalise on with his dead ball expertise.
In reality, it was always going to be hard to hold on to Assal once the transfer window opened, but it’s proving increasingly difficult to replace him despite an influx of new arrivals.
Before the weekend’s game with Hartlepool, Wimbledon had scored just two goals in the opening seven games of 2023 – the disappointing 2-2 home draw doubling that total.
Sam Pearson, Ali Al Hamadi, Saikou Janneh and Diallang Jaiyesimi have all been brought in to add teeth to the attack, but it has taken time for them to settle meaning Wimbledon’s attack has stagnated in the process.
And while Al Hamadi and Jaiyesimi both notched up debut goals against Hartlepool in a much-improved attacking display, the Dons have nevertheless lost important ground to their fellow promotion hopefuls during this settling-in period.
The permanent signing of Al Hamadi from Wycombe, a versatile forward who can play centrally or out wide, looks to be the most exciting of the January crop with the player starting alongside Davison upfront against Hartlepool.
Switching from the Dons’ previous 4-2-3-1 formation, Jackson touched on the tactical tweak post-game, saying: “It was a little bit different to what we have previously done. There’s fluidity there with the options we’ve got.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work on forward play, on how we can create better moments and finish them off, but not only this week.
“We’ve been doing that regularly and we’ve seen some of that today come to fruition.”
Overall, Wimbledon have notched up only 32 league goals so far this season, the same amount as Crawley Town who sit second from bottom and 17 less than top scorers Carlisle United.
They have also recorded seven goalless draws in League Two this season – the most in England’s top four divisions, unequivocally proving that while they have a solid defence to build on, goals are ultimately hard to come by.
Striking the right balance between clean sheets and goals is clearly the biggest task for Jackson to overcome but the Wimbledon boss doesn’t believe it is too far away.
READ MORE: Empty stadiums, reserve sides and general apathy – welcome to a typical EFL Trophy match night
“We were thirty seconds away or so today from achieving that balance,” Jackson said following the Hartlepool draw.
“It’s ironic that the day that we score two and manage to create a load of chances, we left the back door open – but that’s football.”
Like many lower division clubs, Wimbledon were dealt a tough hand in losing their main attacking threat in January with League Two’s hectic and unforgiving schedule providing little time for replacements to be able to pick up the baton immediately.
As the next six weeks presents a busy run of fixtures until the end of the season, Jackson will be hoping his attackers can fully embed themselves into his system and start hitting the net consistently. Otherwise, Wimbledon’s promotion push could be at risk of fizzling out.