Lindsey targets a winning streak to make up for MK Dons' slow start

“I’ll use that one,” said Scott Lindsey when he discovered it had been 43 weeks since MK Dons last won three games in a row.

The head coach is one for statistics such as that one, previously highlighting the 32 weeks since their last back-to-back wins, and 22 weeks since their last away win - both records have since been expunged.

After picking up wins against Morecambe and Accrington Stanley this week, Dons could make it three in a row for the first time since December. But after stuttering their way through the game at Stadium MK against Stanley, Lindsey wants to start piecing together better performances en route to victories as they seek to make up for their poor start to the season.

“We just want to win games, no matter how we do it,” he said. “We're a little bit behind, we're playing catch-up and we're not there yet. But we're playing catch-up quite well at the moment.

“We want to win by playing good football, being good with the ball, creating opportunities to score time and time again. Unfortunately, there's another 11 men out there trying to stop you.

“I want an winning environment, and it's important that the players know how to win a game, and that's hard at this level. So far though the players have been fantastic.

“The mentality is really good, but so far we're not quite where I want us to be. They're working extremely hard, but we're a bit clunky. I'm sure we'll get there soon.

“We're always looking above, because there are teams above us always dropping points. No-one is really grasping it so far, no-one is really running away with it yet.

“We need streaks of four or five wins, four or five times a year. Then you will be in the play-offs or maybe even the automatics. Of course it's hard to do that, but we're more than capable of doing that, given the quality I've got in the squad.”

Taking on David Artell’s Grimsby at Blundell Park on Saturday, Dons will be eager for their first win in Cleethorpes since March 2008. The Mariners have lost their last three games on home soil, but sit seventh in League Two after making a decent start to the campaign.

“He's done well there, really well,” said Lindsey of his counterpart. “Their home form has not been that good, but they've won a lot away.

“We're aware of their threats, and another team that is difficult to analyse because they've played a lot with a back four, but the other night went with a back five.

“We're not sure what they will do, but we can only prepare as best we can and pick a team which I think will be good enough to get the win.”