Sadler's Saddlers are like a well-oiled machine, says Dons boss

MK Dons head coach Scott Lindsey was full of praise for runaway league leaders Walsall but wants his side to kick-start a winning run of their own when the sides meet on Saturday.

The Saddlers have won eight straight to open a mighty 12-point gap atop the fourth tier, and are 21 points clear of Lindsey’s side heading into the game at Poundland Bescot Stadium.

While Mat Sadler’s men were dealt a blow when Stoke City recalled top scorer Nathan Lowe - who had netted 18 goals in 30 appearances this season - the Dons boss said there are plenty of other problems to deal with, not least striker Jamille Matt with his nine goals this term.

Now into his second season in charge, Sadler has his team purring of late, and Lindsey notes that their consistency is born out of the manager’s tenure at the helm.

“Mat Sadler has done a brilliant job there, and fair play to him,” said the Dons boss. “He's a good guy, I really like him and he's got a good staff with him too, some I'm really close with.

“When you see a manager, someone who has been there for a while, and you get a culture and the players in you want, it works. He has been given that time, and he has done it really well.

“Watching them, he has built a real culture of work, how they run, tackle and scrap for each other and for every ball that drops. You can't win anything if you don't have that work ethic.

“They run, chase and press for every ball, they make tackles, the defend the box really well too. They've got a lot of good individual players but they're a team. We've got to be at our very best.”

While Walsall have eight wins on the spin, Dons meanwhile have won just once in six, picking up four points from a possible 18.

But after seeing Walsall’s march, and indeed Salford City’s climb up the table after their own six-game winning run catapult them into the promotion spots, Lindsey says Dons must find their path back to winning ways.

He added: “They've won eight on the bounce which is incredible. We won six and we felt that no-one would beat us, and I'm sure Walsall are feeling that now. Of course, all runs have to come to an end and we hope that's on Saturday.

“I don't think they've been beaten at home very often, if at all, so we know it will be tough but it's a great chance for us. We need to get on the horse quickly and start our winning mentality again.”