Preview: MK Dons

8 March 2022

With the confidence of a club record League One win, Cheltenham Town head to third place MK Dons this evening (kick-off: 7.45pm).

Saturday's home fixture against Doncaster Rovers saw the Robins score four goals without reply to move the team up to 14th in the table.

Tonight's visit to Stadium MK is a different proposition to the two recent matches against Crewe Alexandra and Doncaster with the Dons targeting promotion to the Championship and in red hot form.

The team will head to Buckinghamshire though hopeful of pulling off a surprise result and aiming to look up towards the top half of the table if they can do so.

Team news

Certain players are making progress in their return from injury but it is very likely to be the same group that travel this evening.

Ellis Chapman (pictured) has started full training, while George Lloyd has also stepped up his return.

Conor Thomas and Charlie Brown are still a little while off, with Dan Nlundulu still back at Southampton receiving treatment.

Media talk

Michael Duff is under no illusions as to the task that faces his side this evening.

"They are top of the form charts and I think they've taken 23 points out of the last 27 available," he said to the media on Monday.

"We know what it's going to be. It's going to be a very tough game. They were very good when we played them at home."

Defender Charlie Raglan is hoping to use similar experiences away from home of late to help in tonight's contest.

"We know how they play. They've got a very distinct style," he said to the press.

"We only have to look at our last away game we went up against a similar team in terms of the system, the stadium, certain sort of calibre of player, so we've got nothing to fear in that way."

MK Dons boss Liam Manning has meanwhile been speaking ahead of the match. He said in his press conference on Monday: “It’s going to be a really tough game. We had an extremely difficult game down at their place really early on in the season and we expect that again.

“If look at their last 12 games, while there haven’t been many wins they have had some really big points against some really difficult sides."

Opposition

Nine unbeaten in League One, of which seven of those games ended in victories, makes MK Dons the in form team in the third tier ahead of tonight's clash.

In that run they've defeated the likes of Charlton Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers, while their most recent win came on the weekend when they travelled to top of the table Rotherham United and sealed a 2-1 win despite being down to ten men for much of the afternoon at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Former Robins striker Mo Eisa has been in good form for them recently and he lines up in an attacking set-up that also includes the likes of ex-Swindon Town man Scott Twine and Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Hiram Boateng, ex-Chelsea man Josh McEachran, West Ham loanee Conor Coventry and academy product David Kasumu are just some of the men they can rely on in their midfield department, with defensive solidity provided by the likes of former Cambridge man Harry Darling and long-serving captain Dean Lewington who has played over 700 times for them.

The manager: Liam Manning

Appointed in August at the start of the season, Liam Manning is a 36-year-old who has garnered a reputation for his possession based style of football.

He moved to MK Dons from Belgium where he had been in charge at Lommel S.K. who are part of the City Football Group that owns Manchester City. He'd also previously worked for the organisation when he served as Director of Coaching at New York City in the USA.

His coaching career started at Ipswich Town, where he had been a junior player before going onto play non-league football in the east of England, while he also worked at West Ham United where he served as under-23s manager.

Last meeting

It was back in early September when the teams first met in League One this season and a late goal saw the teams settle for a point each.

Kyle Joseph gave Cheltenham the lead after 14 minutes when his low drive from outside the area found the net.

Scott Flinders made some good saves to try and deny the away side from levelling, but he couldn't prevent Hiram Boateng from equalising on 87 minutes.

Tickets & travel

Fans can buy on the night at MK Dons if you haven't purchased in advance. Prices are £22 for adults, £17 for seniors above the age of 65, £7 for under-18s and under-12s can attend for free with a paying adult.

Robins supporters who have bought online but not picked up their tickets from Cheltenham will be able to do so from the away booth at gate 3 this evening.

If you've booked onto the Travel Club coach it leaves from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium at 4pm.

You can book parking at the stadium online. Please note that Stadium MK is a cashless venue.

Coverage

Watch: Buy an iFollow match pass and watch the game for £10 online

Social media: On Twitter follow @CTFCofficial for match updates. Check out score updates on the club's Facebook and Instagram accounts

Website: You can read a match report after the game on the club website and see reaction to the game

Listen: Purchase an audio match pass on iFollow - available for £2.50

Highlights: Watch extended highlights on iFollow. Shorter highlights will be available on YouTube and Sky Sports

Match Reports

Report & highlights: MK Dons 3-1 Robins

8 March 2022

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MK Dons v Cheltenham Town - Extended highlights - Tue 8th March 2022

Extended highlights of MK Dons v Cheltenham Town, Tue 8th March 2022 in the Sky Bet League One

Battling Cheltenham Town slipped to defeat by MK Dons this evening but they didn’t go down without a fight.

It was the Robins’ third visit to this impressive arena and on each occasion they have shipped three goals. However their season will not be defined by the loss here.

All the damage was done before the break, shipping a pair goals in the space of two first-half minutes to give themselves a mountain to climb at the promotion chasers.

They responded well to the double setback and enjoyed plenty of ball after the break, fashioning a string of chances to get back into it.

In the end, they were caught out by a decisive third goal with five minutes remaining.

They more than deserved a goal for their efforts and they got it in the final minute of normal time when Will Boyle headed home.

There were plenty of positives despite the result and the manager was full of praise for his side’s togetherness afterwards.

“We were probably a bit too passive in the first half but we changed it after the break and we had a go,” he said.

“That’s 26 points out of 30 they’ve just taken so they’re a good team but Owen [Evans] hasn’t had a load of saves to make and we had as many shots as them.

“I’m not saying we deserved to win the game but sometimes you just have to lick your wounds and move on.

“The fact that we scored at 3-0 down, at the end of the game, shows you we go right to the end and it tells you a lot about the group.

“There was no giving in and we stuck together right until the end. That’s what’s got us to where we are and that’s what we’ll keep doing.”

He made two changes to the side that defeated Doncaster Rovers four days ago. In came Liam Sercombe (for Elliot Bonds) and Charlie Colkett (Kion Etete), lining up in a revamped 3-4-2-1 formation to match their opponents.

Callum Wright (right) and Aaron Ramsey supported Alfie May in attack but the in-form striker was feeding on scraps before the interval.

There was very little to write home about until the Dons produced two goals in quick succession midway through the opening 45 minutes. First Troy Parrott headed home, meeting Matt Smith’s delivery with a fine header to beat Owen Evans.

Three minutes later Mo Eisa raced onto a fantastic ball by Harry Darling, took a touch and produced a calm finish to double the advantage. Warren O’Hora was a whisker away from a third moments later but Evans held it.

Cheltenham responded well and there were moments of encouragement, Aaron Ramsey and Callum Wright producing some problems down the flanks with the latter drawing a smart stop by Jamie Cumming from a tight angle down the left.

Sean Long replaced Mattie Pollock at the break and Duff switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation with Sercombe and Colkett screening the back three.

It had its desired effect. His side looked more dangerous and produced a great chance for Ramsey, but the midfielder lost control at the decisive moment.

Next Blair saw a header saved, although he was waved offside moments later, while Ramsey was put through by Sercombe but Cumming raced from his line to smother the danger.

The MK Dons number one was then smart to tip over a cross by Sercombe as the Robins enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.

But it was the home side who put the contest beyond reach five minutes from time when Parrot raced on to Corbeanu’s threaded ball and found the inside of the left upright from 16 yards.

There was time for Boyle to add a consolation and it was the least his side deserved for a spirited second half performance. He met Sercombe’s ball with a typically firm header to reduce arrears. Subsitute Andy Williams (for Blair) could have snatched a second but he was denied by Cumming.

MK DONS (3-4-2-1): Cumming; O’Hora, Darling, Lewington (c); Kesler-Hayden, Watson (Kemp 62), Smith (Kasamu 68), Coventry; Corbeanu, Parrott; Eisa (Twine 79). Subs not used: Ravizzoli (Gk), McEachran, Kemp, Boateng, Davies.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-4-2-1): Evans; Raglan, Pollock (Long 46), Boyle (c); Blair, (Bonds 88) Sercombe, Colkett, B Williams; Wright, Ramsey (A Williams 73); May. Subs not used: Flinders (Gk), Freestone, Chapman, Soule.

REFEREE: C Hicks

ATTENDANCE: 6,894 (away tbc)

Ticket News

Tickets & travel: MK Dons

24 February 2022

Tickets and away travel for the rearranged fixture at MK Dons on Tuesday 8 March are on sale.

The game was originally due to have taken place at the end of December, but COVID issues in the Cheltenham squad led to the match being postponed.

Supporters who purchased tickets for the original fixture will be able to use the same tickets to gain entry, and that's also the case for Robins fans booked onto the Travel Club coach.

For fans wanting to purchase new tickets for the fixture though below are the prices:

Adult £22
Senior (65+) £17
Under 18 £7
Under 12 Free with paying adult

A seat on the Travel Club coach is £16/£14 for non-members, £14/£12 for members and £6 for Junior Robins.

The Travel Club coach will leave from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium at 4pm.

Fans who wish to claim a refund for the tickets or away travel from the end of December fixture can do so via the ticket office, but must do so before the game.

A total of 5% of income from tickets sold through Cheltenham will go to the Robins.

You can purchase tickets and away travel for the match online or from the ticket office during opening hours.

Tickets that are purchased but not picked up from Cheltenham can be collected from the away booth at gate 3 on the night.

If you are driving to the match you can book parking at the stadium in advance for £8 or for £10 on the day.

Fans should note that Stadium MK is a cashless venue.