Third win does not get Dons out of the woods just yet, says Jacko

After moving four points clear of the relegation zone, MK Dons boss Mark Jackson was quick to point out they are not out of the woods yet.

Jonathan Leko’s 57th minute strike downed Morecambe at Stadium MK on Saturday as Dons made it three 1-0 wins in a row against fellow relegation candidates. But with plenty of points still on offer in the final eight games, the season promises to still have twists and turns before the end.

The win moved Dons up to 19th in League One, capitalising on Oxford’s postponed game due to international call-ups to lepafrog them in the standings, but with tough games against Wycombe, Portsmouth and Derby coming up, Jackson said there was no time to get carried away.

“It's really pleasing. We've got a bit of momentum now, and at this stage of the season we know how important the games are. The last three games against teams in and around us have been really important.

“The application, attitude and execution of what we wanted to do has been fantastic, and we've been rewarded with three victories so we're really pleased.

“There's still a lot of work to do, and it's a massive end to the season to come. At crucial times, we know you need that bit of momentum, confidence and a spark to lift everyone. It feels like we've got it at the moment and keep it going, and get even stronger.”

Giving up a bit of control

Unusually for them, Dons looked happy to give up possession against the Shrimps, coming out with less of the ball than Derek Adams’ side.

Jackson admitted it was a planned move to try and hit Morecambe on the turn and transition, a move which worked for Leko’s goal.

He said: “We could have set up to get more pressure on the ball higher up the pitch, but we wanted to keep our structure with the left and right 10s, we knew when we could intercept we could transition into Conor Grant especially.

“There has to be give and take when you set up for a game, and we had to sacrifice that a bit. We could have been more aggressive with how we defended in the first-half, but in the second, we got them into positions and we forced mistakes.

“We want to be aggressive at the back to limit teams of opportunities, so having three clean sheets is fantastic. We know we've got goals in us, and we can create and score more which should be our aim going forwards.

“But we'll need to maintain that defensive structure, and get more pressure in the final third to put the ball in the back of the net more frequently.”