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Saturday's Blue Square South Preview

League leaders AFC Wimbledon will be looking to bounce back to winning ways this weekend, while play-off hopefuls Welling entertain second-placed Hampton & Richmond Borough.

The Dons were held to a goalless draw by St Albans City on Tuesday night and Terry Brown's side have now recorded three successive draws.

Brown has admitted that his side are feeling the pressure as the title race in the Blue Square South starts heating up and is hopeful that they can improve their performances with a string of home games coming up.

Brown told the Wimbledon Guardian: "There is no question that the team are getting anxious.

"There is too much anxiety, and the desire not to make a mistake has overtaken the desire to push forward and win games.

"Three draws on the spin is not a disaster - I had targeted six points out of nine from the three games, so to get three is not the end of the world.

"But what it has done is given all of our rivals a chance to claw back at us, and they have taken advantage of that."

Relegation-threatened Dorchester Town are AFC Wimbledon's next opponents and Brown is wary of slipping up at this crucial stage of the season.

He added: "It will be great to have a run of home games. We just need to get a win to get things going again.

"It is still all about what we do. People keep telling me the big games are the likes of Eastleigh and Hampton, but often the bigger games are the easiest.

"It is the likes of Dorchester that we cannot slip up in, so it is a crucial game for us."

Magpies player-manager Roy O'Brien is quietly confident that his side can get something out of this game.

He told the Dorset Echo: "AFC Wimbledon are flying high but we're confident we can get something out of the game. We should've beaten them last time but it wasn't to be. We need another performance this time.

"They'll be under a lot of pressure but teams like playing at home. They'll have the crowd on their side but hopefully we'll go there and silence them and come out with the victory we require.

"We can do it if people apply themselves in the right way, if they don't then it could be a tough game."

Assistant manager Ashley Vickers is poised to make his debut for Dorchester and will take the place of the suspended Gary Bowles.

Struggling Bognor Regis Town prepare to take on play-off chasers Team Bath at Nyewood Lane in the first ever meeting between the two sides.

The Rocks are currently second from bottom in the league standings but have enjoyed a revival of late under the leadership of Darin Killpartrick.

Skipper Sam Pearce and Anthony Ender are both still out, while Stacey Harper is close to picking up a suspension.

Team Bath missed out on the chance to cut the gap on the play-off zone on Saturday after being held to a goalless draw by St Albans City.

They now sit in eighth place with 48 points and two games in hand.

Promotion hopefuls Eastleigh play host to relegation-threatened Weston-super-Mare on Saturday as they look to strengthen their position in the play-off zone.

The Spitfires lost ground on league leaders AFC Wimbledon on Saturday after being edged out 2-1 by second-placed Hampton & Richmond and will be keen to return to winning ways.

However, the Seagulls will prove to be stiff opposition after coming close to edging out the league leaders in a 1-1 draw in midweek.

Weston manager Andy Gurney watched from the stands as Manny Williams' injury-time penalty was saved but was full of praise for his side despite missing out on three points.

Sixth-placed Maidenhead prepare for the visit of relegation-threatened Basingstoke, while strugglers Thurrock play host to fifth-placed Hayes & Yeading.

Meanwhile, seventh-placed Welling will be looking to keep their play-off aspirations alive when high-flying Hampton & Richmond Borough visit Park View Road.

Welling United drew 0-0 at Basingstoke Town on Tuesday evening, while Hampton & Richmond edged Eastleigh 2-1 on Saturday.

Beavers boss Alan Devonshire told the Richmond & Twickenham Times: "Welling will be really difficult, and I actually think they were one of the better teams we have faced this season.

"It is great to be having a midweek off this week, and we have given the players a good rest. So everyone will be recharged and ready to go.

"We know we have closed in on Wimbledon, but we are really not worrying about them. We are just concentrating on our own games.

"People keep saying we are feeling the pressure but we are not - the pressure is at the bottom of the table, not the top.

"So we will just keep plugging away."

Saturday's fixtures:

AFC Wimbledon v Dorchester 15:00

Bath City v Havant and Waterlooville 15:00

Bishop's Stortford v Worcester 15:00

Bognor Regis Town v Team Bath 15:00

Bromley v Braintree Town 15:00

Eastleigh v Weston-Super-Mare 15:00

Fisher Athletic v St Albans City 15:00

Maidenhead United v Basingstoke Town 15:00

Thurrock v Hayes & Yeading 15:00

Welling v Hampton & Richmond Borough 15:00