Nelson and Warne nominated for League Two monthly awards

Defender Curtis Nelson is in the running to be named League Two Player of the Month for February, while MK Dons boss Paul Warne has been nominated to be Manager of the Month again.

Since arriving at the club in January from Derby County, Nelson is yet to taste defeat in a Dons shirt. Last month, he helped Dons pick up 11 out of 15 points, kept three clean sheets and found the back of the net in the 3-2 win over Cheltenham Town.

And it is that run of form which has seen boss Warne nominated for the manager’s prize for February too. He missed out on the award when nominated for November, but is back on the short-list having led the side to wins over Cheltenham, Newport and Walsall, with draws against Crawley and Cambridge seeing them climb into the automatic promotion places.

Nelson, who is currently nursing a groin injury, faces competition from two former MK Dons loanees for the player of the month gong. Colchester midfielder Jack Payne is included in the shortlist after netting four times for the U’s in February, including a hat-trick against Barnet. And Tommi O’Reilly, on loan from Aston Villa to Crewe, is also nominated after he moved into double figures for assists and netted a cracking volley against former boss Scott Lindsey at Crawley. Cambridge defender Kell Watts is also in the running.

Warne meanwhile faces opposition from Crewe boss Lee Bell after picking up 13 points from 18 in February, Shrewsbury’s new man Gavin Cowan after he led the Shrews to five wins from seven, and Harrogate chief Simon Weaver as they battled back to within touching distance of safety in the drop zone.

The winners will be announced on Friday.