Dons will need help from the 'football gods' in their autos quest

A favour from the football gods is what MK Dons will be looking for in the run-in, with their automatic promotion fate out of their hands.

Stockport, Wrexham and Saturday’s opponents Mansfield all have games in hand over Dons, and currently preside the top three spots in League Two, meaning Dons will likely need to win all of their remaining three games and hope at least one of the trio to drop points in the remaining weeks to stand a chance.

“We've got to take care of our own business, and then the football gods have to shine down on us,” said Mike Williamson, who remains philosophical about the next few weeks. “It's out of our hands.

“If we don't come away with three points on Saturday, the automatics could be over. If we win, we have to deal with those emotions going into the following game too.

“What if we win on Saturday, win against Harrogate and lose the final game (against Sutton United at Stadium MK) and that pips us? There are so many connotations, but that’s for the supporters.

“I enjoy the fans being in a position to speculate, to worry, to get excited. I'm excited for them, but for us, it's pure business.”

The fact Dons are even in the automatic promotion conversation at this stage, having dropped as low as 19th place in October, is something of a success in itself. But Williamson said whether the season is determined as a success will ultimately depend on the outcome, and whether in fact Dons secure promotion be it via the top three or with a win at Wembley in the play-off final.

He said: “I think there are two ways of looking at it. You have to understand what we're trying to create and the process of it. We've made huge strides in what we're trying to create, in terms of the culture and environment. A lot of work has been done off the field, and that's not to say there was nothing before.”

He continued: “But if we come up short, it will all mean nothing, it's wiped off and will mean nothing, we move onto the next one. We've had some incredible games, left everything out there. Even after all the defeats we've had, the players reacted and responded brilliantly.

“I feel like we're getting somewhere, but the next three games will prove whether it has been successful. It is exciting to even be in this situation.”