Dangerous U's could still make late bid for the play-offs
The MK Dons head coach spoke ahead of tonight’s game with Colchester
Dons boss Paul Warne believes Colchester United could be the side to make a late charge to the play-off spots.
The U’s sit 13th in the standings ahead of tonight’s game at Stadium MK, six points behind Grimsby Town in seventh spot, a gap which could be cut to three with victory.
And they already have three points in their pockets from Dons this season, with their stoppage time penalty on New Year’s Day enough to secure the win in Essex - the last time Warne’s side lost a game.
“There’s always a team that sneaks into the play-offs,” said the Dons boss. “In my first year as a manager, we were that team and we ripped it up in the play-offs. If you go into it in form, more often than not you’re the ones who go up.
“Colchester are a good team, they’ve taken points off the top teams away from home this year and as always, it will be a big ask for us to come away with three points.”
Tonight’s game will be the third between the sides this term, with both the league and the FA Cup first round game both being played at the JobServe Community Stadium.
Since the defeat on New Year’s Day, Dons have gone on a 13-game unbeaten run, and according to Warne, are a much different proposition now compared to how they came into 2026.
He said: “It’s a different team to the one that played there in the FA Cup, and to the one who played them in the league in January. For what it’s worth, it’s a better team and squad.
“That was the last game we lost, on New Year’s Day, to a last minute penalty. At the time, it seemed poor or unlucky for us. But like a software upgrade on your phone, things always get a little bit better.
“I feel like our current team, because of the learning and the form and the fitness, is the best version of us all season. It’s easy to say it because we’re winning, but I do feel more comfortable on the side of the pitch. We’re pressing with more intensity, there is a lot more belief in what we’re asking them to do.
“Winning is hard, it’s easier to lose, to take a breather. I like our teams not to do that and to keep going for it, and that’s why I think we’ve accumulated so many points recently. In the last 12 games, we’ve not been out-worked, which is fundamental to success. Everyone has put in a real shift.”