Back in January, AFC Wimbledon were set the impossible task of replacing Ali Al-Hamadi, with the Iraqi international and now-Premier League footballer with Ipswich Town having been a sensation at Plough Lane.
The club opted to sign Josh Kelly from Solihull Moors, with the move being confirmed on deadline day. However, the remainder of the season did not go as planned, with Kelly only scoring twice before the end of the campaign.
The striker looks to have finally found his feet during pre-season, which is now leading to many hoping that he can have a great 2024/25 in front of goal and that the Dons will see a payout from their January investment.
Josh Kelly for AFC Wimbledon in 2023/24
Kelly did have a very difficult task replacing Al-Hamadi, as not only was he being relied upon to score the goals that were lost when the Iraqi striker left, but he also was tasked with forging the same strong partnership that Al-Hamadi had with fellow striker Omar Bugiel.
Following his capture from the National League, it became very clear early on that, despite having likely put time and research into the signing of Kelly, the Dons were still going to play more to the strengths of Bugiel, as well as the departed Al-Hamadi, with Johnnie Jackson favouring a long ball tactic in the hope that Kelly could run on to any loose balls in behind or collect any knockdowns from his strike partner.
This is perhaps the primary reason why Kelly just never quite clicked with the Dons during the latter part of the 23/24 season and why he never found his scoring touch but it’s also fair to say that the sitters he missed early on in his time at the club dented his confidence in front of goal too.
Towards the end of the season, though, the Windsor-born forward did begin to show spurts of promise, with the defeat away at Tranmere Rovers finally showing Wimbledon fans his ability to poach in the box as he came away with two goals to his name. However, the final home game against Walsall did not produce any more strikes, and Kelly ended the season with only two goals to his name, despite having made 17 appearances.
Josh Kelly’s League Two Stats 2023-24 | |
Appearances | 17 |
Average Minutes Per Game | 65 |
Goals | 2 |
Shots Per Game | 1.1 |
Shots on Target Per Game | 0.4 |
Touches Per Game | 15.4 |
Assists | 0 |
Key Passes Per Game | 0.4 |
Successful Dribbles Per Game | 0.5 |
Total Duels Won Per Game | 2.5 |
Stats Correct As Of May 4, 2024 – As Per Sofascore |
Pre-season showing promise for Josh Kelly and AFC Wimbledon
It was hoped by fans and staff alike that the post-season break and pre-season would allow Kelly to not only relax and forget about his poor start with the Dons but also learn what was needed of him going forward and how he would be working with his fellow strikers, and that is exactly what has happened.
Kelly has scored in two of the Dons’ four pre-season games so far, with both goals showing how his game has developed. His strike against Met Police displayed that his confidence in his poaching abilities has not been lost, and his goal against Charlton Athletic, the better of the two, showed how he and his teammates have been working hard to play to his strengths and bring the best out of him.
Following the strike against Charlton, which was a lovely slotted finish from a tight angle after a superbly weighted ball from reunited teammate Callum Maycock, Jackson had a fair amount to say about his striker.
Speaking to South London Press last weekend, he said, “Today, it’s a great goal. That’s what we want to see – those runs that take him in towards goal.
“Kells was bright and energetic when he came in, it didn’t fall for him [though], did it?
“When you come in mid-season, it’s a difficult time. We didn’t have a pre-season with Josh. Now we have. We have a good body of work and he understands what is required.
“He was doing all the right things. He just needed a little break. He has worked hard over the pre-season on what we want from our front two, in and out of possession.
“We’re seeing it day in and day out with him and Matty – they’re scoring goals in training. We have to provide the ammunition, but we have that behind now.
“He knows the level now and I think we’re in a fortunate position now – we have some good options up there.”
Positive Kelly signs will see Wimbledon succeed
Having now shown positive signs during the pre-season period for the Dons, it would be fair to say that if he can follow through on the promise shown so far, Kelly will help fire the club toward the playoffs, and potentially promotion.
The Dons have built a formidable squad, with the only position that still needs filling being on the left side of defence, and it is their strikeforce that is arguably the most impressive area of the team.
Wimbledon boast the aforementioned Bugiel, as well as Kelly, from last season, and have added to the pair by securing the return of Joe Pigott on loan from Leyton Orient, and the permanent signing of former Forest Green Rovers striker, Matty Stevens.
If Kelly can forge the relationship that was missing with Bugiel last season, there will no doubt be plenty of goals coming from Wimbledon’s number 10, and if he can additionally create brilliant partnerships with the likes of Stevens and Pigott, then the club will have a striker that will be the envy of many this season.
Wimbledon’s strikeforce has certianly changed for the better since the days when expensive journeymen led the line
Jackson is certainly going to have a task on his hands when picking his pairing up top against Colchester United for the season opener, but if pre-season is anything to go by, it has shown that Kelly can finally be relied upon in a Wimbledon shirt and that the Dons have finally learnt his strengths and how to get the best out of him.
The 25-year-old scored 39 goals in his last two-and-a-half seasons in the National League while it was his hot start to 2023/24, during which he bagged 13 in 27, which surely convinced the League Two club to move for him.
It’s early days still but the initial signs are that Wimbledon may see the payout from that investment this season.