Looking to produce one of the greatest comebacks in League Two playoff history, MK Dons will welcome Crawley Town to Stadium MK for the second leg of their semi-final clash on Saturday night.
The Dons are three goals behind following a disastrous first leg on the road earlier in the week, meaning that the Red Devils are heavy favourites to advance to the Wembley showpiece.
Match preview
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Not for the first time during the 2023-24 campaign, the big occasion seemed too much to handle for MK Dons on Tuesday night, when they suffered a 3-0 defeat at the home of Crawley in the first leg, leaving the Dons' chances of playoff glory on the brink of extinction.
Having conceded 11 goals in the final three matches of the regular season, it was unsurprising that MK showcased plenty of defensive deficiencies at Broadfield Stadium, where Liam Kelly, Jay Williams and Ronan Darcy all managed to breach the net of visiting goalkeeper Michael Kelly.
Attempting to find a source of cautious optimism for the home supporters ahead of Saturday night, MK Dons are yet to lose back-to-back matches in League Two since manager Mike Williamson took the reins at the club back in October, with the 40-year-old winning 20 of his 36 games in charge.
The Dons' record at their Buckinghamshire base is also a statistic pointing towards a possible second-leg comeback this weekend, with Williamson's troops winning 14 and collecting 47 points from 23 matches at Stadium MK in League Two this season - only promoted duo Wrexham (54) and Stockport County (50) managed to earn more from home fixtures.
Potentially playing his final match for the Dons on Saturday night, 20-year-old Max Dean has enjoyed a breakthrough season in senior football at the focal point of his side's attack, finding the net on 15 occasions and providing five assists in 29 League Two appearances, attracting the attention of Championship and League One outfits.
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Taking part in their first-ever playoff fixture on Tuesday night, Crawley Town rose to the occasion admirably and are now just 90 minutes away from securing a clash with either Crewe Alexandra or Doncaster Rovers at Wembley for a place in the third tier of English football.
Although not an ideal result, the Red Devils could afford a repeat of their most recent trip to Stadium MK back in December, when goals from Joe Tomlinson and Alex Gilbey sealed a 2-0 victory for MK Dons, but the visitors will be looking to extend their advantage even further in the opening stages of the second leg.
After scoring just two goals in 24 League Two appearances for strugglers Grimsby Town last term, Danilo Orsi has stepped up to the goalscoring plate for Crawley this term, making the net ripple 19 times in 46 fourth-tier fixtures, scoring against his former employers on April 27 during a 2-0 win.
A third straight clean sheet for Crawley goalkeeper Corey Addai would guarantee a spot at Wembley for his side later this month, with the 26-year-old impressing massively during the first leg, as his touch map resembled that of a right-back rather than someone in between the sticks.
Team News
Despite a poor showing in the first leg, MK Dons are unlikely to make wholesale changes to their side, meaning that Lewis Bate and Jack Payne should start in the engine room once again.
There could be an alteration on the right side of defence, though, with Kyran Lofthouse potentially coming into the XI at the expense of Cameron Norman.
Stephen Wearne, Gilbey and Championship-linked Dean have been a prolific front three for the Dons at Stadium MK this term, and Williamson should stick with that trio from the start on Saturday, keeping Ellis Harrison on the bench.
After being replaced on the 60-minute mark during the first leg, Harry Forster could drop out of the Crawley side to make room for Kellan Gordon.
Regardless of firing a blank in front of goal on Tuesday, leading marksman Orsi will retain his spot as the focal point of the visitors' attack, with Klaidi Lolos and Adam Campbell playing slightly further back.
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Kelly; Tucker, O'Hora, Harvie; Lofthouse, Payne, Bate, Tomlinson; Wearne, Gilbey, Dean
Crawley Town possible starting lineup:
Addai; Wright, Conroy, Maguire; Gordon, Williams, L Kelly, J Kelly; Lolos, Campbell, Orsi
We say: MK Dons 3-1 Crawley Town (Crawley Town win 4-3 on aggregate)
Considering MK Dons' stellar record on home turf this season, it is hard to imagine the Dons failing to stage some level of comeback this weekend.
That being said, Crawley have put themselves in an excellent position to advance into the Wembley final, and we reckon that the Red Devils will narrowly get over the line in Buckinghamshire.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
