Top three spot is not enough for MK Dons boss after Chesterfield win

“We don’t want to be third,” Scott Lindsey said emphatically after his side climbed into the top three for the first time this season after a 3-0 win over Chesterfield on Tuesday night.

MK Dons’ sixth win in a row came with plenty of storylines: Scott Hogan’s record-breaking opener; Chesterfield being reduced to ten men after 25 minutes; Alex Gilbey netting two more to take his total to nine for the season; the side lifting themselves into the automatic promotion places after 16 days without a game.

Not straying far from his message, head coach Lindsey was pleased with his side as they returned to the pitch after more than two weeks on the sidelines, but he wants his side to continue on their march up the standings.

“We talk about positivity all the time,” he said. “We talk about promotion too, we don't hide away from it, and we want to keep breaking records too.

“I thought we played really well. I know they had a man sent off, but we still had to beat a good Chesterfield side.

“The way we attacked the game after more than two weeks without a game, but you couldn't tell. We had the bit between our teeth.

“The measure (of the time off) was in the performance today. We used the break to work really hard in training, they've worked extremely hard but we've given them a bit of time away as well. We looked fresh, covered a lot of distance, passed it well, and created a lot of chances.”

Lindsey’s only criticism of his side was of their ‘fluffy’ finishing. Dons had plenty of chances to put the game out of reach of the Spireites in the second-half especially, but for keeper Max Thompson’s best efforts.

Lindsey continued: “When it was 2-0, had it stayed like that it would have been a criticism that we didn't score more. I think had we not scored a third, I'd have told the players we had to put it to bed. We were through a few times but were a bit fluffy in our final actions and could have done better and scored more.

“But we've scored three at home so I can't really complain.”