Fleetwood Town and MK Dons clash at Highbury Stadium on Tuesday night in a rescheduled round 17 League Two fixture, with both sides eyeing a crucial win to close the gap to the playoff spots.
Originally set to have been played on November 23, the match was postponed due to bad weather caused as a result of Storm Bert.
Match preview
© Imago
Fleetwood head coach Pete Wild celebrated his first win at the helm with a spirited 2-0 victory at playoff contenders Salford City, thanks to early strikes from Ronan Coughlan and Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu.
Wild, appointed on Christmas Eve following Charlie Adam's dismissal, had a mixed start to his tenure with a 1-1 draw against Harrogate Town and a 2-1 defeat to Doncaster before the Salford triumph.
The Fishermen, who had over two weeks of rest due to the postponement of their match against Gillingham, now sit 14th in the table with 30 points from 23 games, and while they are 12 points adrift of the final playoff spot, Fleetwood hold two games in hand over Salford, who occupy that position.
However, their sixth-worst home record in the division remains a concern as they aim to capitalise on this opportunity to narrow the gap.
Momentum and recent history favour the hosts, who are unbeaten in the last five meetings with the visitors, winning the most recent two.
© Imago
MK Dons, meanwhile, are desperate to avoid a third consecutive defeat to Fleetwood—a first in their history – however, recent form offers little encouragement.
The Dons have secured just one win in their last seven league matches and suffered back-to-back losses, including a 4-2 defeat to league leaders Walsall on Saturday caused by a second-half collapse which saw them concede three goals in that period, drawing criticism for a lackluster performance.
Scott Lindsey, who took over as head coach in September following Mike Williamson's departure to Carlisle United, has seen his early promise fade amid his team's December slump.
Despite this, MK Dons remain in 12th place with 34 points from 24 matches, eight points off the playoff zone, and a win on Tuesday could breathe new life into their campaign, but with two consecutive away defeats and no wins in their last four visits to Highbury Stadium, optimism is tempered.
Team News
© Imago
Fleetwood will continue to rely on goalkeeper Jay Lynch, with David Harrington sidelined due to an injury sustained on Boxing Day, while long-term absentee Zech Medley remains out with an Achilles injury.
Coughlan, who netted his sixth league goal of the season against Salford, is expected to lead the line alongside Ryan Graydon.
For MK Dons, Scott Hogan is likely to retain his place in attack after scoring his fourth league goal of the season against Walsall.
However, Tom Carroll's availability remains uncertain after the 32-year-old midfielder was omitted from the squad on Saturday.
Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:
Lynch; Potter, Bennett, Bolton; Bonds; Sarpong-Wiredu, Virtue, Patterson, Rooney; Graydon, Coughlan
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
McGill; Offord, Lawrence, Sherring; Nemane, Williams, Kelly, Tomlinson; Crowley, Gilbey; Hogan
We say: Fleetwood Town 2-1 MK Dons
Fleetwood's recent momentum under Wild, combined with their unbeaten run against the Dons, gives them a slight edge, which is why we are predicting a win for the hosts to maintain their streak in this fixture.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
