A look ahead to MK Dons' title decider against Fleetwood Town
Previewing MK Dons’ trip to Highbury Stadium to take on Fleetwood in the season finale, kicking off at 3pm
MK Dons could secure their first league title in 18 years on Saturday with victory over Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium.
Matching or bettering Bromley’s result against Walsall in London, Dons will ensure they finish top of the pile to get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 2008 when Keith Andrews, now Brentford head coach, lifted it at Stadium MK.
Paul Warne’s side secured automatic promotion last week with a 3-0 win over Tranmere Rovers, seeing them hit top spot for the first time this season.
Fleetwood head into the game sat 15th, and cannot drop any lower regardless of the result, and can realistically only climb one spot on the final day. The Cod Army head into the last game with a perfectly balanced season of 15 wins, 15 draws and 15 defeats.
Boss Matt Lawlor has overseen a recovery for Fleetwood since taking over in January, initially as the interim head coach until the end of the season, losing only four games since the start of February. Unbeaten in three, Fleetwood have drawn in consecutive games ahead of this afternoon’s clash.
Reflecting the League Two table as it stands, Fleetwood have the 15th best home record this season, while Dons top the charts on away form as they seek their 12th win on the road to confirm the title.
The sides have met 16 times down the years and there is nothing to tell between them - both have six wins apiece with four draws. While Dons were 2-1 winners last time out in November, they have not won at Highbury Stadium in nearly a decade, with Ryan Colclough’s hat-trick in the 4-1 win in September 2016 their last triumph. They have lost in three of the last five trips there, including both of the last two.
Referee Stephen Parkinson will take charge of the game. In his 36 games this season, he has shown 132 yellow cards, three reds and awarded nine penalties. Dons have seen him twice this season, most recently on New Year’s Day in the defeat to Colchester. A couple of weeks prior, he oversaw Fleetwood’s win over Gillingham.
Assistants Daniel Woodward and Karl Buckley will run the lines with Fourth Official Andrew Miller.
Bookmakers bet365.com have MK Dons at 5/6 to win the game and with it the title, with Fleetwood 27/10 and 13/5 the draw.