Results elsewhere take the pressure off MK Dons

With relegation rivals AFC Wimbledon and Rochdale both set to pick up three points, Dan Micciche's side looked destined to drop deeper into the League 1 drop zone.

However, despite Dons' heaviest defeat of the season coming at the DW Stadium, Dons remain just a point from safety. And for Micciche, that is the only positive he can take from the afternoon.

"One positive to come from today was the results elsewhere," he said. "We're at that stage now where we have our target, but psychologically we want other results to go for us too. It's still very tight down there but we have to take care of our own business.

"I think what the league shows is that everyone is beatable. Wigan have lost game as have Blackburn. The second half against Blackburn showed we can compete. But we had spells where I was comfortable watching us, thinking we were in it.

"Yes, they've got top players but I don't want those excuses. We've got good players, we had a game plan but we shouldn't use where they are in the league to make it acceptable."

Back-to-back defeats to the division's top two sides have stunted Dons' positive run recently, but Micciche says he has to put them out of the players' minds to bounce back against Doncaster next Saturday.

He added: "The whole time here has been difficult because I came into a difficult situation but as manager, I have to have a thick skin, be positive and lead by example and put things right.

"We haven't even discussed the game. I've just told them to move on. I think the difference today was just the two boxes."