Upon MK Dons’ shock relegation from League One last season, most people expected them to bounce straight back, either with a title win or at least a very convincing promotion from League Two. While for much of the season it has looked like that was going to come to fruition, a torrid festive run of just two wins since the first game of December has seen them slip into the uncertainty of the play-offs.
There’s still ample time for them to turn it around, but with form dipping, loan deals expiring and key players falling foul to injuries, there’s every reason to suggest that the Dons are entering, or may already be in, a rut. Their next opportunity to climb out from that rut will be away at Grimsby Town and, while all games should be deemed ‘important’, this one may stand out from the rest.
Grimsby Fixture is Most Important of MK Dons’ Season So Far
Recent Outings
Paul Tisdale’s side have already made the trip to Blundell Park once this season, facing the Mariners in the first round of the FA Cup. The game resulted in the Dons’ first really surprising loss of the season. There had been winless games prior to the cup exit, but most fans had expected a safe passage through to the second round, even if the game was against a league rival away from home and particularly because in their last fixture before this one, the Dons had run out 4-0 winners away at Crawley.
Grimsby had even caused the Dons trouble in their league game back in August, playing the Dons off the park and eventually being unlucky to only take a point from Stadium MK.
Both results are hardly encouraging omens coming into an important game such as this one, even without the injuries and form playing a part. The players will need to put previous meetings at the back of their minds and just focus on getting back to being the dominant force that, prior to December, was one of the toughest teams in the league to beat.
Prediction
In the same period where the Dons have dipped, it’s been an incredibly mixed time for Grimsby. They lost only once throughout December, 2-1 away at Cheltenham Town, but have lost all of their games so far in January, with their last outing being a 3-0 reverse at Forest Green Rovers.
A loss for the Dons, while unlikely due to goal difference, could mathematically see them fall out of the play-offs altogether. A major slip down the table could be the psychological blow that sees them surrender their place in the promotion race. That’s why a positive result is so important in this game.
Grimsby’s run over the winter has seen them fall comfortably into mid-table, but it’s still something that MK Dons can take advantage of providing they can put their own struggles behind them.
Unfortunately, that’s never been a strong point of their’s, so there’s every chance the final result from this one won’t be what either party ideally needs. With two defences likely lacking in confidence, expect goals at each end.
Prediction: Grimsby Town 2-2 MK Dons
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