Shot-shy Dons will not pull the trigger for no reason

Goals and shots have been in short supply recently, but Ben Gladwin has urged strikers Danilo Orsi and Scott Hogan to keep the faith.

In the last two games, MK Dons have amassed just nine shots, and managed not to hit the target all night in the 3-0 defeat to Notts County on Wednesday night.

For the likes of Orsi and Hogan, opportunities to find the back of the net have been few and far between of late, though both managed to hit the net against Fleetwood Town last Saturday.

Taking on Barrow at Stadium MK on Saturday, interim boss Gladwin wants his strikers, and indeed the rest of players, to be bolder when it comes to taking shots, but not to shoot from anywhere.

“We have ways we want to take shots, not just aimlessly getting into the final third and swinging from everywhere,” he said. “We have ideas we want to give the players, but when they cross the white line, they have to feel every moment, and it is down to them try to feel the right time to do it.

“As a striker, you want chances and goals. They are trying their hardest, everyone is. But we’re encouraging the strikers to keep going because the chances will come, and hopefully we can help them with that.”

Taking on Barrow, who sit 16th in League Two, at Stadium MK, Gladwin felt his side were in for another tough afternoon.

He continued: “I’ve really enjoyed watching them in the build-up to this game. They’re full of energy, enthusiasm, they’re connected and work tirelessly for each other.

“It’s going to be a big test, and the players need to know they will come with loads of intensity and energy, and we will have to match that at a bare minimum. Hopefully our quality will help us do what we want to do.”