Final day decider is bigger than a play-off final for MK Dons

Chairman Pete Winkelman said this Sunday’s game with Burton Albion is like a play-off final for MK Dons, but captain Dean Lewington said the implications are arguably even bigger.

Last season Dons missed out on the chance of automatic promotion on the final day of the season, and the chance of reachin Wembley when they were knocked-out of the play-offs by Wycombe Wanderers, sparking a disastrous season which sees them scrapping on the final day to ensure League One status for another year.

Anything short of a win at the Pirelli Stadium is likely to see Dons tumble back down to League Two for a third time in their history, something Lewington said would cost the club far more than simply losing the race for promotion.

“In a way, I think it's more important (than a play-off final),” he said. “Going up is a fantastic achievement but there is the caveat that you stay where you are if you lose.

“In this situation, it's staying up or going down so there is more doom to it. It's a massive game, with big consequences either way.

“It's a season in one game. It's a massive game, everyone knows the importance of it and what we have to do.”

With Dons beginning the day outside of the relegation zone, they know matching the results of both Morecambe an Cambridge will be enough to keep them up, especially given Burton’s win over the U’s on Wednesday night.

With that result, a 1-0 win at the Pirelli Stadium, Lewington said the mood within the Dons camp is positive heading into Sunday’s clash.

He said: “The mood is good. The result on Wednesday put things back into our own hands, but we know we still have to go and get a win. But it being in our control is all we can ask for at this stage of the season.

“We've been buoyed by that, and the closer we get to Sunday's game, the more we're looking forward to it. We can't wait to go there and get it started.”