Dons remain cautious of Harrogate rediscovering their form

Paul Warne is not about to write off Harrogate Town ahead of MK Dons’ trip to north Yorkshire on Saturday.

Simon Weaver’s side sit 22nd in League Two without a win in the division since mid-September, but the Dons head coach said he is all too aware of a team in a bad run of form suddenly finding their feet again.

“They’re not on the best run, I appreciate that, but that won’t last forever,” he said. “I’ve managed teams on a bad run but you still prepare them the same, you motivate them for the game the same, the lads will still be desperate to win, they’ll want to start the game well. Everything is the same when the whistle blows, and when the whistle blows, it’s just that game.

“How the game goes is determined by what they do and how well we play. We still have to be at our best to win the game, no matter how you spin it. Harrogate are really good at counter-attacking, they’ve got some really good youth, they’ve got players who are prepared to take risks on the ball out wide, and they can cause a lot of problems. We have to be organised on the ball, we have to create as many goal-scoring chances as we can.

“I think last year, this club went there and won 5-1, a brilliant away day, but it’s different now. Hopefully we get the same result and hopefully we get a really good performance too.”

Defender Luke Offord was a part of the team that emphatically won last season but he said he and his team-mates will not be returning under any illusions that they can repeat it.

“I’ve played Harrogate quite a few times in my career, and they’re always tough games,” he added. “The pitch might not be great at this time of year, the weather plays a part to. We went there and won 5-1 last season on a tight pitch, so it should be a good game. We’ve got to go there and try and win.”