MK Dons boss Paul Warne looks ahead to tomorrow’s game against Doncaster Rovers

Paul Warne is no stranger to Doncaster Rovers.

The MK Dons boss lives in the vicinity of the south Yorkshire side, and regularly visits Club Doncaster Sports Village Stadium to watch Grant McCann’s side when not on duty himself.

On Saturday, Warne will see them up close and personal again when Rovers visit Stadium MK, with both sides keen for a win to help them up the close-knit League One table.

They have opposite form heading into the clash though, with Dons having won three out of four over the last couple of weeks, while Doncaster have lost three out of four.

Despite knowing the opposition well from his time watching them, Warne admitted his side will have their work cut out if they are to win a third game in a row.

“I’ve seen a lot of Doncaster over the years, I only live about five minutes away from their ground, so if ever there’s a Tuesday night game when I’m not working, I go,” he said. “I know Grant McCann really well, I’ve always liked his teams and the way they play.

“They had a tough game against Luton in the week, and we know it’s a tough place to go. But the week before they beat Sheffield Wednesday and being from that area, I know what that means and what it can do to the team’s confidence.

“They’ll come here expecting to win. I know how Grant is, he’ll go into it that way. It will be tough, they’re all tough. When you’re on top, you’ve got to take your chances and defend resolutely.”

Dons’ recent upturn in form has seen them climb from 23rd in League One to a more stable 14th after landing nine points from 12. Speaking last week, Warne said he was disappointed his side did not have between 15 and 20 points at the ten-game mark. Now they sit on 15 after 12 games thanks to wins over Stevenage and Bromley, with the head coach feeling a little bit happier about the side’s situation.

He continued: “There are still the same irritations with games we dropped points in. If we win at Blackpool, we’d be three points from the play-offs with a game in hand over a few teams above us.

“We’ve seen a lot of good things in our team this season, but recently a lot of those good things have turned into wins. It’s good for the group, good for everyone.”