Destiny is in Dons’ own hands heading into the final part of the season

Though it remains tight at the bottom of League One, assistant head coach Robbie Stockdale says MK Dons’ destiny remains in their own hands heading into the closing stages of the season.

Two points from safety after a difficult run of games in February, head coach Mark Jackson said his side are in a mini-league between now and the end of the season and must win it to ensure League One football next season, beginning with Lincoln City away tomorrow night (Tuesday).

But after hidings at the hands of Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday, and a third straight loss to Ipswich Town on Saturday, Dons are still just two points from safety and know the next five games offer them a great opportunity to put together a run of wins - something they’ve admittedly struggled with all term - to help them get away from the troubles at the bottom.

But with the tight nature of the division, Stockdale said: “It's indicative of the league. You've got teams at the top of the league who are pounding out results, a mid-group and we find ourselves in the third tier of the group, and we've got to finish on top of that. We've got a lot of those teams to play.

“It was always a difficult run of games we were facing, but we felt we'd get more out of it than we did. The next month will tell us what kind of season we're going to have.

“We're a couple of points away from safety but we got into it with the mentality that we're in this mini-league now, and with that in mind, our destiny is in our own hands.

“But words are cheap, it's about going onto the pitch and performing. We've got quality in the squad, but we need to make sure the basics are right.”