"A point we can build on": Midfielder's take on Dons' draw with Crewe

Kane Thompson-Sommers said the MK Dons players are pleased to have ended their three-game losing run, saying the 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra was a step in the right direction again.

Joe White’s fourth goal of the season after 10 minutes at Stadium MK was cancelled out by Jamie Knight-Lebel’s first career goal 11 minutes after the restart as the sides shared the spoils in the final game of 2024, leaving Dons 11th some the start of 2025 when they head to Chesterfield on New Year’s Day.

After losses to Gillingham, Newport County and Notts County, dropping Dons from third to 12th at the start of play, Thompson-Sommers said it was important to end their run by any means necessary.

“It's a point that we can build on,” he said. “In the last few games, we've lost three in a row and we came into today wanting to win. But if you can't win, don't lose, so we can build on this. We're disappointed not to win, especially after being 1-0 up, but there are positives to take, and hopefully we can go on to win next time out.

“We spoke before the game about being aggressive with our press, so it would mean they had to go long, but when they do that, we have to win our duels. It's a really important part of our game, and we did that in the first-half. But when we slipped away from that, that's when they got a foothold in the game.

“Crewe are a good side, and we saw intent from both teams to go out there and win it. If things had fallen our way, we could have scored but they could have too. It was an intense game towards the end, but we just didn't quite to enough to get the win in the end.”

Despite their recent losing run, the 24-year-old said morale in the Dons’ dressing room has been good of late.

He continued: “As a group, we've been disappointed with some of the performances and especially the results, but we all know how quickly football can change, and it's still all in our hands.

“The games come thick and fast, so if we can get into the right mindset again, we can turn it around and change things quickly. We know we're not miles off, with a few tweaks and improvements we can win more games and climb the table.”