National League South occupants Taunton Town will hope to be on the correct end of an FA Cup giant killing when they tackle League One side MK Dons at Stadium MK for Saturday's first-round clash.
The visitors are plying their trade in the first round for only the third time in their history, while Liam Manning's men enter the competition aiming to push their league woes aside after a challenging start to the campaign.
Match preview
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From guiding MK Dons to a third-placed finish and a spot in the playoffs to trying to steer his side away from the relegation dogfight, the 2022-23 campaign has been a harsh reality check for MK Dons head coach Liam Manning thus far.
A goalless draw with Cheltenham Town at the weekend has left this weekend's hosts below the dotted line in the League One table in 21st place, three points adrift of Accrington Stanley with a game in hand, but Manning felt that the 0-0 stalemate was a step in the right direction for his side.
The 37-year-old may have had a point, as MK Dons have now gone successive games without defeat for the first time since August and have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches before hosting non-league opposition in the FA Cup.
The Dons - then as Wimbledon - famously won the 1988 edition of the FA Cup by overcoming Liverpool in the final, but they have been eliminated from the first round in three of the last four editions - the outlier being a third-round exit to Burnley on penalties in 2020-21.
Performances on their own patch have been hard to come by for MK Dons in recent matches, as Manning's men have suffered six defeats from their last seven at Stadium MK - including each of their last three - and Taunton Town will welcome any shred of encouragement they can get.
The National League South side are partaking in the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 2016-17 season, where they managed to hold Barrow to a 2-2 draw to force a replay before suffering a 2-1 defeat and bowing out with their heads hold high.
This time around, Rob Dray's side have progressed past Laverstock & Ford, Walton & Hersham and most impressively Yeovil Town in the qualifying rounds to set up a tie with MK Dons, but their league form has left a bit to be desired this season.
The Peacocks occupy 16th spot in the National League South table with 17 points to show from their opening 14 games, but they picked an ideal time to end a three-game winless run by thrashing Tonbridge Angels 4-1 on their own patch last weekend.
However, any hopes of a cup shock will not be aided by their dismal form on the road, as Taunton have only claimed one win from nine contests away from home this season, failing to win any of their last five and finding the back of the net just three times in total.
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Team News
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MK Dons did not pick up any new injury concerns during their draw with Cheltenham Town, where Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry was fit enough to complete 66 minutes after shaking off a knock, and Mo Eisa has fully recovered from an ankle injury.
Tennai Watson is closing in on a return from a hamstring injury and could possibly force his way into contention this weekend, and 38-year-old left-back Dean Lewington brought up a staggering 900 career appearances in the draw with Cheltenham.
One-club man Lewington will expect to marshal a three-man backline for the hosts, but it would not be surprising to see Manning make a few alterations, with Matthew Dennis and Dawson Devoy among the youngsters hoping to earn a chance to impress.
As for Taunton, Dray should see no need to make significant alterations to the side that eased past Tonbridge last weekend, but Dave Sims-Burgess may be fearing for his spot after being taken off before the hour mark in that game.
The 26-year-old will expect to hold his place, though, having hit three goals this season to lead the way in the scoring charts, while former Wales youth international Lloyd James should anchor the midfield as Southampton loanee Jack Bycroft starts in goal.
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Ravizzoli; Tucker, Jules, Lewington; Lawrence, Smith, Devoy, Harvie; Burns, Eisa, Barry
Taunton Town possible starting lineup:
Bycroft; Foulston, Grimes, Ball; Chamberlain, Lucas, James, Budd, Smith; Sims-Burgess, Jarvis
We say: MK Dons 3-0 Taunton Town
In spite of MK Dons' underwhelming form at home, a lack of ruthlessness on the road is set to be Taunton's downfall against higher-level opposition this weekend.
Dray's men ought to enjoy the moment at Stadium MK, but the visitors will surely be consigned to a first-round exit as the Dons pick up a morale-boosting win and ticket to round two.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
