A look ahead to MK Dons' play-off first-leg against Crawley Town

Both MK Dons and Crawley Town will be looking to secure their first ever play-off final spot when they play each other across two legs, kicking off this evening at the Broadfield Stadium.

The game looks set to go ahead tonight after rainfall over the weekend forced the originally scheduled game on Monday was postponed for a waterlogged pitch. The implications of the rearrangement have had knock-on effects, with the second leg not taking place at Stadium MK on Saturday night rather than Thursday.

While Crawley are experiencing the EFL play-offs for the very first time, Dons are looking to end their run of five semi-final defeats. Their last play-off heartbreak came in 2021/22 when they were knocked out by Wycombe Wanderers in the League One semi-finals. No other team in play-off history has been through as many semi-finals without reaching a final.

Dons have won half of the games between the sides down the years, winning five and drawing three of the ten. While they were beaten in West Sussex back in August, Mike Williamson’s side were 2-0 winners at Stadium MK in the return game in December. Of the five games at the Broadfield Stadium, Dons have won two, lost two and drawn one.

Seeing out the regular season, Dons have been in goal-scoring form, netting 20 times in their final six games of the season, but have been leaky at the back too, conceding 14 in that time as the team picked up three wins, two draws and one defeat.

Crawley meanwhile head into the play-offs with two wins, two draw and two defeats in their last six, beating Grimsby 2-0 in the final day to secure their spot in the post-season. Their total of 70 points is the lowest to qualify for the play-offs since Blackpool’s campaign in 2016/17.

Max Dean has had a hand in ten goals in his last six League Two appearances for Dons, with six goals, four assists. Among players to play 1,000 minutes this season, only Doncaster’s Hakeeb Adelakun (one every 95 minutes) has scored or assisted at a more frequent rate than Dean (15 goals, five assists assists, one every 96 mins).

Referee Ross Joyce will take charge of the game. No strange to MK Dons vs Crawley games, Joyce’s last game in charge of either came at Stadium MK in December when the sides last met. In his 37 games this season, he has shown 161 yellow cards and nine reds, and awarded four penalties.

Having taken charge of 11 Dons games down the years, they have won five, drawn two and lost four under the referee’s watch, while Crawley have lost four of the five he has officiated, winning only once.

Hugh Gilroy and Steve Durnall will run the lines with Fourth Official Charles Breakspear and Reserve Assistant Referee Andy Bennett.

The first-leg odds according to BetWay have Dons at 6/4 to win the game, Crawley at 7/5 and 13/5 the draw. They also have Dons at 11/8 to secure promotion, with Doncaster at 9/4, Crewe at 4/1 and Crawley at 5/1.