MK Dons midfielder Ryan Wintle spoke ahead of Thursday’s clash with AFC Wimbledon

Walking into a hostile atmosphere could help the MK Dons players when they take on AFC Wimbledon on Thursday night.

Most of the visiting squad has not experienced the game between the sides before, but have played in various derby games, know what kind of environment they will be met with when they take to the field at Plough Lane.

For some, including midfielder Ryan Wintle, those kinds of atmospheres help bring the best out of players, with the former Cardiff City man saying he is excited to get going against Dons’ biggest rivals.

“I definitely prefer hostile environments, it gives you a bit of a chip on your shoulder to go out and do it,” he said. “For me, and I’m sure for most of the experienced players, we’ll enjoy it, but it’s only enjoyable if you go out and win.

“You see it all the time in derby games, someone can get reckless and gets sent off because of the occasion. You’ve got to use the emotion in a controlled way, and using it to our advantage.

“We’ve got to use the crowd, use everything and push on, believe in ourselves to prove we’re the better team and show we’re better than where we are at the moment.

“Everyone understands the magnitude of the game. We’ve had a meeting about it so we’re not just turning up like it’s any other game, that’s definitely not the case. Hopefully we can show what it really means.

“I can’t wait. I played there last season and even though it wasn’t a derby game, it was still a good atmosphere. We want to go there and put on a good show.”

Wintle and his team-mates are still seeking their first win back in League One, drawing five of the opening six matches this season.

Knowing victory would mean a lot on many levels, he said: “We’ve got to be confident in our abilities, and we’ve put together a squad here who should be winning more games than not.

“We’ve drawn five and lost one - a few of them we could have won, a few we could have lost. We all know, collectively, it’s not been good enough. We’re not here to survive and be midtable, that’s not why we’re here.”