Paul Tisdale has been named the October Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month.
Tisdale guided MK Dons to a near-perfect October with his side picking up 16 points from a possible 18, while conceding just twice.
His team won five straight times to start the month before earning a valiant point away at Mansfield Town - form which saw them climb from 13th in the Sky Bet League Two table to second.
“I’m very happy,” Tisdale said upon receiving his award. “Coming into a new club, you always hope to hit the ground running and we’ve done that.
“Certainly, as a manager, you don’t do everything yourself. It’s down to my colleagues as well - the team behind the team - who do a lot of the work. My colleagues have worked extremely hard and this is as much down to them as it is to me - so thank you to them.”
He added: “It’s going nicely but I want to be careful not to get too carried away because it is early days. We’re still concentrating on the process - the results, as nice as they have been, are a product of that process - and there is a lot more work still to do.
Tisdale, who missed out on the August Sky Bet League Two Manger of the Month Award, was shortlisted alongside Keith Curle (Northampton Town), John McGreal (Colchester United) and Micky Mellon (Tranmere Rovers) but has been selected.
He becomes the fourth MK Dons manager to win an EFL Manager of the Month award and the first since April 2015.
George Burley chairs the Sky Bet Manager of the Month judging panel. He said: “After ten successful years at Exeter City, Paul has shown in just three months at MK Dons what an excellent manager he is.
“They had a near perfect October collecting 16 points from a possible 18 while conceding just two goals.”
Sky Sports’ EFL pundit Don Goodman said: “Many wondered how Paul Tisdale would cope in his first new role in over a decade, but he has taken barely any time to transmit his message onto his players.
“In October, an increase in clean sheets allowed them to turn draws into victories and propelled them up the table, hot on Lincoln’s heels.”
Sky Bet EFL trader Ivor Davies said: “Former Exeter boss Paul Tisdale guided his MK Dons side to five wins and a draw in October.
“The Dons now sit in second position and are all set to mount a serious title challenge. They are now 9/4 second favourites to win the Sky Bet League Two crown and as short as 4/11 for promotion.”
Meanwhile, Chuks Aneke has missed out on the October Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month award.
The MK Dons striker was nominated for the honour after scoring four times in six appearances during October but the trophy has instead been taken home by Grimsby Town goalkeeper James McKeown.
Aneke, who was named Quest TV’s League Two Player of the Month, will discover at 8am whether he has won the PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month award for October.