No chance of Dons laying towels on the beach before the season ends

There are just 11 games remaining this season. Dons have played all but five of their 45 matches so far without supporters, in quiet, empty stadia up and down the country and sit in relative comfort, 15th in League One and 12 points from the drop zone.

While the remainder of the season could easily be frittered away, with the players and staff putting their feet up early for a few 'on the beach' matches in the closing months, Luke Williams says eyes are already focussing on next season.

With the remaining 11 matches and 33 points on offer, Russell Martin's assistant manager feels with the team still an unfinished product at this stage, allowing the team to coast into the summer break would be a waste of time for everyone, and the time remaining should be used to further lay the groundwork for a more positive one next time out.

"The key for us is to use the remaining time to prepare ourselves moving forward," said Williams. "No-one is worried about dropping down, we feel confident enough in the group, but we know we can’t really achieve anything substantial. We can push our performance level so we are ready for the next challenge.

"Let’s not waste the time and instead hone in on the detail so we can improve on the little number of games we have left."

Still to find the magic formula this season, Dons have gone through several transitions this season, with huge turnover in personnel on the field and in the squad as a whole. Williams though feels the current crop of players have the biggest scope to make Dons successful, with a few added pieces in the summer.

He continued: "This team has the biggest potential. I'm sure we can add to this in a smart way and have a group full of potential and experience to challenge.

"The manager has had to reinvent the team three times this season without losing the style. Anyone who has been in the hot seat will know that’s an incredible achievement.

"The team started off with a lot of confidence without being able to capitalise and score goals. We missed a lot of chances early on, but we had a trait, which seems to have remained all the way through, which is an error costing us points.

"Richard Keogh was a massive signing and helped us establish the role of the central defender. He made people believe in playing when we were being pressed aggressively. We’re seeing more young players come in, they are exciting and everybody can see huge potential in them.

"We’ve got young players who want to get involved in the game. It’s exciting to see young players like Harry (Darling) and Warren (O'Hora) who are so brave and willing to join the build-up to create overloads.

"If you enjoy football, I’ll be surprised if you don’t like our goals."