Dons’ clash with Ipswich won’t be a ‘beauty contest’ according to McKenna

Although both teams are considered to play attractive football, Kieran McKenna feels Saturday’s game between MK Dons and his Ipswich Town will be more than a beauty contest.

Dons sit third in League One, level on points with Wigan Athletic in second after going on a run of one defeat in 10. Ipswich too are in a good run of form, with six wins in their last eight, helping them to ninth in the standings.

McKenna, who took over at Portman Road in mid-December and has sparked their revival in form, said with both teams liking to play in a distinct fashion, it should make for a hard-fought affair at Stadium MK.

“It’s not going to be a beauty contest, it’s about which team can find a way to be more effective in the game,” he told East Anglian Times.

“They’re a team who obviously like to play with the ball. They build up from the back well. They play brave and open.

“There are some similarities between them and us, but for me it’s not a competition to see who’s going to have more of the ball. For me it’s a competition to see who scores the most goals.

“We want to impose our style. We feel that the best way to score goals is by playing our football, but I’m sure they’ll be thinking the same.

“We have to weigh everything up; look at our team and our strengths, look at their team and their strengths, look at the conditions. At the moment they are having difficulties with their pitch, which obviously changes the dynamic a little bit as well.

“We’ll look to impose our style, they’ll look to impose their style and at the end of the day both teams are going to be desperately going for a win.”