Dons have clear heads and minds heading into Shrewsbury clash

After a poor showing last time out in League One, MK Dons are eager to go into Saturday’s game with Shrewsbury Town with clear heads.

The lacklustre showing at home to Peterborough was one of Dons’ most lifeless showings in recent times, perhaps disguised somewhat by the two goals in stoppage time to make the scoreline closer than the game suggested.

On Tuesday, Dons recovered with a 2-0 win over West Ham U21s in the Papa John’s Trophy which, according to defender Zak Jules, has helped lift spirits in the squad again after a tough few days following the Posh defeat.

He said: “After the result against Peterborough, it was a good thing to have a game quickly to get over it, to put in a solid performance and to get a good result to clear our minds. The team we played on Tuesday was not a weakened one, and we took the game seriously.

“It has turned our mindset around for the next league game. We've got clear minds and heads going into the game now, and we want three points.”

Shrewsbury sit 13th in League One, with three defeats in their last four across all competitions. Steve Cotterill’s side were beaten 2-0 away at Cheltenham last time out, but Montgomery Waters Meadow has not been a happy hunting ground for Dons, losing each of their last two games there.

While they scrapped at the wrong end of the table for much of last season, Shrewsbury comfortably stayed up in the end, and recruited strongly in the summer to make them a tougher prospect, according to Dons boss Liam Manning.

“They recruited some really experienced, talented and physical players in the summer, who really know the league,” he said of Saturday’s opponents. “They're well organised, hard to beat and hard to play against. They carry a threat too. It's a tough game.

“Across the league, the level of squads and depth has improved. They had a really good summer in terms of recruitment and will be a tough side to face.”