Russell Martin says his MK Dons side won’t panic, despite suffering successive 1-0 defeats last week.
Martin’s men were unfortunate to be beaten at Burton Albion in midweek and were equally as unlucky not to come away from their Stadium MK clash with Sunderland with any points on Saturday.
The two defeats, though, have seen the Dons slip back down to 20th in the Sky Bet League One and they remain just three points adrift of safety. Still, Martin remains positive about his team’s chances of climbing the table.
“It's not time to panic,” he said in his post-match press conference at the weekend.
“We've come away from these last two games - where we should have had at least four points - with nothing, but we’ve had a tough run of fixtures and we've shown that we can compete.”
He continued: “We were excellent in the first half [against Sunderland] and controlled the game. We looked strong defensively, and thought we were the better team.
“Fair play to them, they did a much better job in the second half. I didn't like it from us. We lacked structure and anxiety crept back into our game.
“That said, I still think a draw would have been a fair result, but we haven't got it. It's a great strike from them, but it all happened a bit too easily for me. It’s those little details that will hurt us so we have to learn from it.
“We haven't had a lot of time to work on things - it's been a hectic time over the Christmas period. We've got a nice break now where we can get in some really important work, keep improving and developing, ahead of a period of games where we need to pick up points.”
The Dons were dealt a blow prior to kick-off on Saturday when Alex Gilbey was forced to withdraw from the starting line-up due to injury. Martin provided an update on the midfielder in his post-match press conference.
“We were aware of an issue with his knee but we thought he could battle through, which he has done for a couple of weeks. We had to give him every chance today but he just couldn't do it.
“We'll look at it. Hopefully the break will be good for him to get back towards 100 per cent, in time for the next game.”
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MK Dons are back in Sky Bet League One action on Tuesday 28 January, when they take on Rochdale at Stadium MK. Kick-off 7.45pm.
Tickets are priced at £22 adults, £17 seniors and £7 under-18s while under-12s go FREE with an accompanying adult.
Supporters can upgrade to premium seats in the East Centre for a £5 premium while an upgrade to clubRed is just £10 more.
To book tickets click HERE, visit the Box Office at Stadium MK or call 0333 200 5343. Tickets will be available to buy right up until kick-off from the Box Office.
Can't make the game? Supporters will be able to watch this match live on iFollow MK Dons for just £10 - click HERE to purchase an Audio Match Pass!
