After failing to take advantage of their game in hand during the week, a 1-1 draw against Yeovil in which for the fourth game in a row, a late equaliser or losing goal was conceded, MK Dons come into their game against Tranmere Rovers only just in the top half of the table. They have won just three of their nine league games and only have five draws to thank for them not peering dangerously over their shoulders. Performances, though, have been on the up and a game against a side who are still re-acclimatising to life back in the Football League could be exactly what they need to lift the spirits around Stadium MK.
MK Dons Must Stay Strong and Resilient Against Tranmere
A Potential Leapfrog
Any positive result for Tranmere in this game could potentially see them overtake the Dons in the league standings. Last season’s National League play-off winners sit 13th in League Two, two places and one point behind their opponents, level on goal difference and one goal to the good in terms of goals scored. Only the result of Bury, who sit sandwiched between the two, could affect their overtaking.
This alone should provide the fuel for a far more inspiring display from Paul Tisdale’s side. Despite a good start and a recent improvement, his team are still yet to score more than two goals in a single league game this season and have been guilty of losing concentration late on in games. Doing this against Tranmere would more than likely see them slip into the bottom half which, after ten games, would be far from ideal and far from the expectations that Tisdale and Pete Winkelman set at the start of the season.
To add to the Dons’ difficulties, Tranmere have been better on the road this season, losing just once – they played that game against Swindon with ten men from the 17th minute after Jay Harris’ red card.
One thing that is going for them, though, is that their strikers are finally starting to find the net. This was a major factor in MK Dons’ relegation last season. However, Cardiff City loanee Rhys Healey found the net in the loss to Lincoln last weekend and Kieran Agard got his third of the season (first from open play) in the midweek draw down in Somerset. Add to this the return of Chuks Aneke and the backup provided by Osman Sow and Robbie Simpson, it surely can’t be long before the Dons fully find their feet in terms of strikers scoring goals – maybe this will be the day.
Key Men
MK Dons
Both Agard and Healey will be high on confidence after their goals in the last week – Agard because of the amount of stick he receives from fans (perhaps the GIF used on the official MK Dons Twitter account to announce his goal against Yeovil is a nod to this) and Healey to break his duck at his new club.
Seeing the pair start together would be far from a negative sight, although Chuks Aneke might get the nod in this one having started the midweek game on the bench. Either way, having Agard and Healey fit and firing could be the key to the Dons edging their way to another draw and finally getting a much-needed win.
Tranmere Rovers
When you have a player that has scored seven of your ten goals this season, he is always going to be a threat. Add to this the fact that another one of this ten has been an own goal, then only two other players have contributed to Tranmere’s goalscoring exploits this season.
James Norwood is clearly a threat for this side and is their go-to man when they are in need of a goal. Not only is this highlighted by the prolific season he is having so far, but he has also scored 57 goals in 149 games for the club, as well as notching 48 in 149 for Forest Green Rovers between 2011 and 2015.
The former England C international has clearly made absolutely nothing of the step between the National League and the Football League and he is one of an abundance of dangerous strikers the Dons will have to be wary of this season.
Prediction
On paper, this looks like it should be an easy win for MK Dons. However, you could say that about most of their games so far this season, and look at their league position. Clearly, no game is going to be easy for them until they address their issues.
Tranmere’s away form is not a good sign for the hosts and nor is the current form of their main man Norwood. What gives the Dons a slight edge in the eyes of many, though, and aside from their ‘home advantage’ is their experience of this level (and higher levels) compared to Tranmere, who spent a considerable amount of time away from the Football League before this season.
This game could be slightly different for Tisdale’s side. Expect the same vulnerabilities to be there, but this could finally be the first time since the opening day they score more than once. Perhaps, though, Tranmere could give them a late scare.
Prediction: MK Dons 2-1 Tranmere Rovers
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