'Clunky' MK Dons must be smoother against Harrogate Town

Scott Lindsey wants to see a smoother, more fluid MK Dons tonight when they take on Harrogate Town.

The new boss got to see his side in action for the first time on Saturday during the 1-1 draw with Bromley - their first point on the road this season - and though he saw improvements, he believes there were plenty of things to improve.

In particular, he highlighted the stuttering nature of their play at times at Hayes Lane, something he wants to see less of at the Exercise Stadium in Yorkshire.

“There was a lot which was a bit clunky, not quite smooth enough yet but it will be,” he said. “One thing which pleased me was the effort they showed. That was the furthest they've run this season.

“We want to reach a ceiling of work that will reflect results and at the moment we're not there yet, but it's an improvement on what they've done so far. And I'm pleased with how we defended against a team who asked questions of us defensively.

“At the moment, it's difficult to see too much in training because we're recovering and preparing. We've not had a lot of time on the training pitch other than to get them ready.

“We're assessing during games, which is good, but I'm looking forward to having more time on the training ground to get more work in them. But I'm really pleased so far, there were positives on Saturday and it's a work in progress.”

Taking on Harrogate this evening, Lindsey is not only seeking his first win in charge but also a win to end the five-month stretch without an away win. Their last, ironically, came against Harrogate last season.

“We want to win the game, get the monkey off the back,” said the head coach. “We want to change it quickly and it's another opportunity to do that.

“It's a tough game, a tough place to go. Simon's done a great job there, they're a good side but so are we. I've prepared the team and we'll go and attack the game.”