Defeat to Doncaster Rovers was an outlier for MK Dons

For MK Dons, the reverse fixture against Doncaster Rovers earlier this season was a pivotal moment when they were beaten 2-1 at the Keepmoat Stadium

The Keepmoat Stadium is not a happy hunting ground for MK Dons, and the 2-1 defeat there in October is proving to be one of the more important games of the season.

Wins have proven hard to come by for Doncaster Rovers this season, and after a 6-0 thumping at the hands of Ipswich Town few would have predicted three points when Dons came to town a few days later.

Liam Manning’s side though came into the game with the mythical Manager of the Month curse hanging over their heads and suffered a disastrous start to the game in Yorkshire, conceding after just seven minutes when Tommy Rowe put the hosts in front. In dank conditions, Dons levelled through Peter Kioso and looked the better side in the run up to half-time, but looked ragged in the second half. Tiago Cukur came off the bench to net Rovers’ winner to upset the Dons apple-cart.

Since then, fortunes for the two sides have differed significantly. While Dons sit fifth in League One, unbeaten in five matches in the division, Doncaster have lost 10 of their last 11, including five straight heading down to Milton Keynes for this afternoon’s fixture, rooted to the bottom of the table.

That game at the Keepmoat Stadium though is something of an outlier for Manning, and despite the difference in form ahead of kick-off, he insists Dons will not be taking their opponents lightly.

“It was a key moment for me and the group as well,” he said. “They'd just lost 6-0 to Ipswich, and we had to expect them to come at us and we had to get through the first 10 15 minutes... and we were 1-0 down after seven minutes so the lads listened well!

“I watched them against Cambridge (on Tuesday night) and they could have been two or three up at half time because they created the better chances.

“They've had a few new additions which we know can give you a lift, it's not always about league positions. There are lots of things there which make them extremely dangerous. We have to be hard to beat and we have to scrap.”