Only two games remain in the League Two season and the race for automatic promotion could not be tighter. Lincoln City have already wrapped up the title but the remaining two spots can still be won by five teams. Two of those sides go head to head tomorrow when Bury visit Tranmere Rovers, while MK Dons, the team currently in fourth, travel to play-off hopefuls Colchester United.
MK Dons Visit Colchester United
In Control of Their Destiny
While MK Dons might sit outside the automatic spots currently, they can live comfortably in the fact that they are still in control of their own fate. Wins in their final two games will ensure an immediate return to League One due to the fact they host fellow promotion hopefuls Mansfield Town on the final day.
Going to Colchester and getting a positive result will be no mean feat though. The U’s have won half of their 22 games on their own turf, losing seven times. MK Dons are third in the away form table, but their surprising draw at home to Port Vale last week could have put a dent in their preparations for this match.
Previous Meetings
This fixture has primarily been played in League One in the past, hence why the last meeting between the two before Colchester’s 1-0 win at Stadium MK earlier this season was back in 2015. MK Dons were the victors on that occasion when Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli scored the only goal.
That was the scoreline in the very first meeting between these two clubs as well. Izale McLeod notched the only goal in that one.
The biggest win for either side in this fixture was the 6-0 thrashing the Dons dished out in November 2014, the season they were promoted to the Championship while the U’s escaped relegation by two points. Benik Afobe hit a hat-trick, while Alli, Ben Reeves and Lee Hodson added the other three.
Overall, the two teams have played 21 games against each other, with MK Dons coming out on top 12 times, Colchester prevailing on five occasions, and there have been four draws.
Prediction
History would suggest there’s really only one winner in this game, but the meeting earlier in the season gives the impression that Colchester know how to beat this team. Granted, injuries have sufficiently changed the way MK Dons have played since that point, but the U’s now look a much tougher side than the ones the Dons have played recently.
There’s a lot riding on this game and both teams will be up for it considering what is at stake. However, a clear winner is much harder to foresee, and so an entertaining draw is most likely on the cards tomorrow.
Prediction: Colchester United 2-2 MK Dons
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