MK Dons home preview

[Sweden Stag]

For the first time since that fateful final day of the 2018-19 League Two campaign, the Stags face MK Dons in any competition. Then, it was all about the final automatic promotion spot.

Before that game, this was written: “The winner takes it all. The winner of the final Stags’ League Two game at MK Dons will follow Lincoln and Bury into League One next season. And for the Stags, a draw will also be enough considering their vastly superior goal-difference compared to MK, who have to win at all costs. The final automatic promotion place is up for grabs”.

In the end, an early MK Dons goal sealed the final automatic promotion place. It hurts. But MK Dons lasted four seasons in League One and were in 2021-22 just one point away from gaining promotion to the Championshp for the second time, one point below Rotherham. And then lost to Wycombe in the playoff semifinals. From that blow, MK Dons didn’t recover and fell from serious promotion candidates to fighting relegation within a year.
Not only the promotion chase was unsuccesful, but also the relegation one. All last season, MK Dons were fighting relegation, and a goal-less draw at Burton on the final day proved not enough as Cambridge United beat Forest Green at home. Poor home form was the key to the MK downfall. Just four wins, the lowest of any side in last season’s League One, even rock-bottom Forest Green managed more three-pointers at home, was not enough. One more home win had ensured safety at the expense of Cambridge.

This season, MK Dons have had a topsy-turvy campaign and axed Graham Alexander in mid-October. Now at Bradford City, he oversaw a 4-0 rout inflicted on MK a few weeks ago. Alexander was replaced by Mike Williamson, from Gateshead, and his first ten games as MK boss saw seven wins, two draws and one defeat. But after the turn of the year, MK have shown average form. The proof: six wins, five defeats. Not only Bradford City did rout the MK, so did also Doncaster to a 3-0 scoreline on New Year’s Day. MK have also lost games in added time. Not only at home to Morecambe in January, but more painfully at AFC Wimbledon last Saturday in a game littered by yellow cards, twelve in overall, six for each side.

Meanwhile, the Stags have scored a staggering fourteen goals in their last two home games, 9-2 against Harrogate and 5-1 against Salford. And last Saturday, a deserved 1-0 victory was ground out at Newport.

Last time out at One Call, the sides played out a 1-1 draw at Mansfield with two extremely well-taken goals in the first half. Already then, a neutral could see how and why both sides were to be fighting it out at the top.

The Stags were also the first side ever to beat MK Dons in League Two, and did so on August 8, 2006, thanks to goals from Richard Barker (later MK manager for a short spell) and Michael Boulding. Needless to say that Dean Lewington appeared for MK in that game.

This will be the fourth time, the sides clash at One Call.

Three of the Stags players who starred against MK Dons in August 2006 were still around in 2018-19 and all featured that season. Here they are: Alex John-Baptiste for QPR, Stephen Dawson for Bury and Johnny Mullins for Cheltenham, while Richie Barker, scorer of the equalizer, was MK Dons manager for a short while in late 2016.

And one MK Dons player from the 2006-07 class is still around. The name: Dean Lewington, ever-present in 2018-19 as well as in their Championship campaign of 2015-16, an incredible feat nowadays, and has now this season broken the EFL record League appearances for a singleclub. Lewington is now on 783 League games for MK Dons, and a few months ago, he broke the record of 770 held by John Trollope of Swindon Town between 1960 and 1980. Lewington has played together with every player listed below who in preview history has starred for the Stags and MK Dons. In May 2019, George Williams played for MK against the Stags, and also played in the 1-1 draw at One Call that campaign. Baily Cargill also featured for MK in that fixture.

Played for both sides: Hiram Boateng, Jordan Bowery, Baily Cargill, Craig Dobson, Oscar Gobern, Nicky Maynard, Richard Pacquette, Lewis Price, Stephen Quinn, Craig Westcarr, George Williams.

Previous league fixtures as MK Dons:

Home: P 3, W 1, D 1, L 1, GF 4, GA 4
Away: P 3, W 0, D 1, L 2, GF 1, GA 3

2006-07 2-1 2006-08-08 1-1 2007-02-20 League Two
2007-08 1-2 2007-10-02 0-1 2008-01-01 League Two
2018-19 1-1 2018-10-27 0-1 2019-05-04 League Two

Time to get revenge for the 2018-19 final day promotion miss-out. Come on Mansfield!

[Class of 02]

Thanks Sweden Stag.
Excellent analysis as usual