AFC Wimbledon: Forget Bugiel or Reeves, Johnnie Jackson's key cog in promotion-hunt stands out v Newcastle United - View | OneFootball

Joe Lewis' performance against Premier League Newcastle United has outlined him as perhaps the most important member of Johnnie Jackson's squad

While it was not meant to be for AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup as they lost to Newcastle United on Tuesday night, plenty has been learned about the squad now heading into a tough period of constant fixtures.

Perhaps the biggest learning from the game is the importance of Joe Lewis to this Wimbledon side that Johnnie Jackson has built.

The former Stockport County man joined the club last summer on loan from the Hatters, and was viewed by many as a useful squad option. However, his impressive performances, and his notable short shorts, gained him fan-favourite status, so much so that Wimbledon made the move permanent only six months into the loan, with the threat that County would recall him during the January transfer window.

And now, nine months on, he has just captained the Dons through 90 minutes of extremely formidable football, and proved to many why he is, above others in the squad, the most important part of Jackson's squad of promotion hopefuls.

Joe Lewis is the key to getting AFC Wimbledon promoted

Tuesday night was always going to be an uphill struggle for the Dons after such a chaotic week for the club from SW19. However, the gulf between Premier League Newcastle and the Dons was almost non-existent, with the club from League Two keeping the Magpies at bay from open play, and only conceding from a contentious penalty.

The main man involved in keeping the Newcastle attack at bay was the Welshman, who kept the likes of Miguel Almiron, William Osula and even England international Anthony Gordon very quiet. In doing this, he proved just why he will be the key man for Johnnie Jackson in Wimbledon's chase for promotion.

He formed a brilliant partnership at the back with another former Stockport County man in the shape of Ryan Johnson last season, and has continued that this term with his partner-in-crime while welcoming in the likes of Riley Harbottle and Isaac Ogundere into Jackson's new five-man defence while Johnson has been injured.

However, it was his marshaling of the back five that Lewis impressed with most, making sure to not only keep up his defensive duties by winning every duel he could, but also commanding his fellow defenders, and others who dropped deep to help out, while performing captain duties.

This is what is going to make him a key player for Jackson in the promotion hunt, as he was able to perform those duties against a club that only 12 months ago was beating the likes of Paris Saint-Germain four goals to one. Albeit, the lineups are not comparable, but it does not make the feat any less impressive, as Newcastle fans have high expectations of their side at this moment in time.

Defensive solidity will get AFC Wimbledon out of League Two

This year, League Two is arguably as open as it has ever been in recent years, with many quality sides in the division, some of whom have not quite kicked into gear yet, but it will not be the goals or leadership that get the Dons out of the fourth tier.

Instead, it will be the new-found defensive solidity that will get the club promoted. Currently, the Dons boast the second-meanest defence with only four goals conceded in six games, only being beaten out by table-topping Gillingham. In addition to this, the side have not conceded in the league since losing to Bromley 2-0 in August.

The Dons do have brilliant goalscorers in Omar Bugiel and Joe Piggot, who can reliably put the ball into the net on a consistent basis, as well as wildcard options in Matty Stevens and Josh Kelly, who can surprise opposition defences with their range of skill-sets.

They also have the likes of Jake Reeves, one of the division's most intelligent, and at times, underrated players, captaining the side and keeping Wimbledon ticking in the middle of the pitch.

However, both of these key parts of the squad do not match up to the fantastic defensive set up that the Dons have. And, in a League where previously impressive Walsall have conceded six goals to a Fleetwood Town side this week, who the Dons shut out not too long ago, that will go a long way to getting the Dons into serious promotion contention.

The plaudits, for now, will go to Lewis and his fantastic form that many supporters will hope continues when the Dons visit Salford this weekend in a return to League Two action.

However, football is always going to be a team effort, and as long as Lewis, Johnson, Harbottle, Ogundere and whoever else comes in to defence for Jackson, remain as defensively sound as they showed against Newcastle, the Dons will not have to depend so much on goals from their attackers or leadership from Reeves to get them up into League One next season.