MK Dons volition beryllium aiming to debar a 4th consecutive decision successful each competitions erstwhile they big Crewe Alexandra successful a League Two fixture astatine Stadium MK connected Sunday.
The 2 sides are separated by six places, with the Dons sitting 4th successful the array having amassed 35 points, portion the visitors are further down successful 11th spot with 30 points.
Match preview
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MK Dons continued their unimpressive showing successful December, with their latest lucifer ending successful a 2-0 nonaccomplishment against Notts County connected Boxing Day.
The defeat, their 3rd successful a enactment successful the league, is successful opposition to the signifier they consistently showed since Scott Lindsey was appointed caput manager successful precocious September.
The erstwhile Crawley Town manager rallied his troops to grounds a drawstring of bully results successful his archetypal 10 matches successful complaint - a tally that included 7 victories, 2 draws and conscionable 1 defeat.
In that period, the Milton Keynes-based squad plundered 17 goals; portion the goals person not dried up, the Dons person not done a bully occupation of shutting retired opponents - a weakness exemplified by the 38 goals conceded truthful far.
In their latest three-game winless streak, the location broadside person shipped 9 goals — lone 1 less than the full fig of goals conceded during Lindsey's tenure earlier the dip successful form.
However, the Dons person 1 of the champion location records successful the league, with six wins, 2 draws and 4 losses, racking up 20 points connected their turf.
Lindsey's men volition beryllium assured of claiming each 3 points, having beaten the visitors successful their past 2 trips to Stadium MK.
Should the Dons look victorious connected Sunday, they could determination to ninth presumption successful the table, but that is contingent connected Salford City and Bradford City losing their respective matches.
Elsewhere, Crewe Alexandra are winless successful their past 2 league matches, drafting 1 and losing the other, and they volition beryllium aiming to debar back-to-back league defeats for the archetypal clip since their archetypal 2 games of the season.
In their past outing, the Railwaymen were edged 2-1 by Cheltenham Town astatine the Completely-Suzuki Stadium connected Thursday.
With that loss, the automatic promotion bid of Lee Bell's squad suffered different setback; however, their complaint for a League One spot is inactive alive, arsenic the distant broadside are lone a constituent down Doncaster Rovers, who inhabit the last automatic spot with 36 points.
Although Bell's squad person a solitary triumph successful their past 5 distant exertions successful the league, the Cheshire-based squad person recorded decent results connected their travels this campaign.
In 11 fixtures distant from the Mornflake Stadium, Bell's squad person claimed 4 wins, 4 draws and lone 3 losses.
A triumph successful this fixture volition springiness the visitors their archetypal triumph astatine Stadium MK since April 2021.
MK Dons League Two form:
MK Dons signifier (all competitions):
Crewe Alexandra League Two form:
Crewe Alexandra signifier (all competitions):
Team News
Although MK Dons person a afloat acceptable squad with nary suspensions, Lindsey could marque immoderate changes to the starting XI successful airy of their existent dismal run.
Nevertheless, apical marksman Alex Gilbey, who has scored 9 goals this season, is expected to diagnostic from the archetypal blast of the whistle.
Similarly, Luke Offord, Nico Lawrence and Laurence Maguire are expected to signifier the backmost three, portion Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Joe Tomlinson should some beryllium named successful the starting XI arsenic wing-backs.
As for the visitors, Shilow Tracey and Jack Lankester should signifier the attacking concern up beforehand — the brace person 10 goals betwixt them this season.
Filip Marschall is the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper and helium is expected to support his spot betwixt the sticks.
Jack Powell, who is backmost successful enactment aft a twelvemonth connected the sidelines owed to a ruptured ACL, should besides marque the cut.
MK Dons imaginable starting lineup:
McGil; Maguire, Offord, Lawrence; Tomlison, Robson, Grant, Lemonheigh-Evans; Gilbey, Holland; Grigg
Crewe Alexandra imaginable starting lineup:
Marschall; Connolly, Demetriou, Williams; Cooney, Holicek, Powell, Tabiner, Conway; Tracey, Lankester
We say: MK Dons 1-1 Crewe Alexandra
Although the visitors person fared amended than the hosts this season, their inability to unafraid a triumph astatine Stadium MK since April 2021 could beryllium the impetus the location squad needs to spell each retired for an outright win.
However, the decent distant results of the visiting squad cannot beryllium overlooked. Thus, we reckon this lucifer volition extremity successful a 1-1 draw.
For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.
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