A look ahead to MK Dons' final home game of the season against Grimsby Town

Dean Lewington will bid farewell to Stadium MK on Saturday as he hangs up his boots at the end of the season.

The 40-year-old is due to play a part against Grimsby Town is the penultimate game of the season, his first outing for the team since November and only his 10th appearance of the campaign. It will be his 916th appearance for MK Dons, and his 948th of his career.

While he leaves them on course for their lowest ever finish - Dons cannot finish higher than 17th in League Two - the side will be keen to go into pre-season on a relative high after a dismal year.

Lewington was one of five head coaches to have led the side this season, doing so in a caretaker capacity back in September when he stood in following Mike Williamson’s departure. New head coach Paul Warne heads into the game unbeaten in his first two, drawing with Newport County before picking up a win over Crewe Alexandra on Monday, securing the club in League Two for next season. Prior to Warne’s arrival though, Dons had lost four straight.

Grimsby head to Stadium MK looking to stay firmly in the play-off hunt. David Artell’s men occupy the final spot to be in contention for a trip to Wembley in May, but have had a bit of a wobble of late. Picking up only one win in their last five, the Mariners have lost and drawn two each to just about stay in the mix.

Earlier this season, Dons, under Scott Lindsey, mounted a second-half comeback with two goals in eight minutes after the restart to turn things around at Blundell Park, leaving Cleethorpes with a 3-1 win. In 11 meetings down the years, Dons have won five of them - including the 2008 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley - while Grimsby have four wins. The only two draws between the sides have been the last two encounters at Stadium MK.

Dons will be without Jay Williams, Nathan Thompson, Alex Gilbey, Sam Sherring and Dan Crowley for the game, with all five set to be out until pre-season.

Ex-Dons winger Darragh Burns made the move to Grimsby in January from MK1. The Irishman had been on loan at Shamrock Rovers for 2024, after moving to Milton Keynes in the summer of 2022. Since his move, he has made two starts for the Mariners, coming off the bench seven times, most recently in the 4-0 home defeat to Swindon Town on Good Friday.

Referee Adam Herczeg will take charge of the game, his 35th outing of the season. Thus far, he has shown 128 yellow cards and four reds, while giving six penalties. He has never taken charge of MK Dons previously. Declan Ford and Christopher Myatt will run the lines with Fourth Official Andrew Aylott.

Bookmakers bet365 have MK Dons at 2/1 to win back-to-back games and do the double over Grimsby, while the Mariners are 11/10 to continue their fight for the play-off spots. They are offering 13/5 on the draw.