It is ‘all or nothing’ tonight as MK Dons travel to Colchester United looking for three points to keep their faint top-six hopes alive.
Dons boss Karl Robinson has told his team they cannot afford to throw away another lifeline this evening as they line-up against Joe Dunne’s U’s side who are yet to confirm their status in League 1 next season.
As the U’s look to ensure they avoid falling into the drop-zone, the Dons are occupied by drams of making a late run into the play-offs but with three games to go and four points to overturn
Robinson knows nine points from nine is a must.
Speaking to the media ahead of tonight’s game at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, Robinson: “I didn’t know many of the results around us after Saturday’s game but when I got back on the coach I was frustrated because a positive result against Orient could have helped us claw ourselves very close to Swindon. I also had a sense of relief because we’re still in this.
“One of the players said to me on Saturday that somebody wants us to go up because we’ve been given one or two lifelines in recent weeks, and we can’t afford to throw them away.
“This team is capable of winning three games on the spin and if we do that Swindon have got to win two. Over the next few games it’s all or nothing. If we can win against Colchester we can put
ourselves seventh which will be a massive boost and it will put us within a shout.
“Colchester believe they need three points to confirm their status next season, but they’re five points clear so I think a point would see them safe as they’d go six clear with a good goal difference too.
“The League has been tremendous this year, there are still teams fighting for their lives, hoping to get in the play-offs, looking to secure automatic promotion and the title is yet to be decided. There is only a handful of teams that have nothing to play for at the moment.”
The Weston Homes Community Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for the Dons over recent years having won on three of their four visits to Essex, but Robinson knows that record means very little and at this stage of the season it is difficult to predict results.
“Years gone by are years gone by, this is a different chapter. If we can win at Colchester it will go down as a memorable win because it could set up a grand stand finish and that’s what I want, I want to be in the mix. “
Former Dons striker Jabo Ibehre is expected to line up against his old team-mates this evening, looking to add to his goal tally of eight for Dunne’s side. The Islington-born forward left the Dons in January after three-and-a-half years at the Club and has been a big success with Colchester.
Robinson added: “Jabo has been scoring goals for them because he’s playing consistently and when he does that he is always a threat. He was a good servant for the Football Club, but his move came at a time that was good and beneficial to both parties.
“He’s gone on to pastures new and he’s achieving what he wanted to achieve, we wish him luck after Tuesday’s game. I’m sure if he scores against us and keeps them up he will be over the moon so we can’t feel too bad if we beat them. “
