MK DONS UP NEXT

We will learn a bit more about our prospects this week. Are we good enough to keep this run going or will we do the usual? I am hopefull of a good result and then we will be able to look ahead to next month with a little bit of excited hope and aspiration.

Certainly a test for yas.
if you can "do" the dons , then to me you've got no-one to fear (except leeds maybe , and of course the mighty hartlepool united).

Along with Jeff Stelling I have started looking out for the results of the mighty "Pool" You are not doing to badly at the mo and with not a lot of dosh.

I've a soft spot for Hartlepool , even tho a lot of their fans don't seem to like Boro.
When we went bust in 1986 , we were on the brink of closure , til Hartlepool came to our rescue by letting us use their ground for "home" games - even on days when they had a home game too.
That's something i for one will never forget - if it wasn't for 'pool , i'm convinced there'd be NO Middlesbrough Football Club today.

It is a story I would love to hear Digger. How close were you to actually going under? Hartlepool far from your place then? Showing my lack of knowledge there .

Diggerman wrote:When we went bust in 1986 , we were on the brink of closure , til Hartlepool came to our rescue by letting us use their ground for "home" games - even on days when they had a home game too.

How did that work? I am guessing staggered kick off times with one set of fans filing out and the next lot on their way in!

MK Dons are not doing too badly this season, but I like to think we'll still get something from the game. Apart from the odd shaky moment our defence is better than it has been in many a long year and we don't crumble under pressure any more. But we HAVE to stop conceding goals and letting teams back into matches, however briefly. We need many more clean sheets than we are currently getting. I am not too concerned when we are in the 'you score, we'll score more' mood as at present, but goals can always dry up, we won't always score 3 or 4 a game as we are doing.

PU that is exactly how we used to play. Way back when we used to go to the match expecting to see a good game with goals. Not always scored where we wanted but we would leave the ground knowing that we had had a go.
It is starting to look a little bit like that right now and I for one will accept that for now. Especially as we are definitely getting stronger and gaining in confidence. We'll be there on saturday hoping for a good game and 3 points as usual. If we play well and don't quite make it, it doesn't hurt anywhere near as much though initially one leaves the ground unhappy.
The defence is sounder but still makes the odd error from which the odd team or two could punish us. What has impressed me the most is the way AP has managed to find a way to use Lallana and Wotton. It will be interesting to see how he accommodates Connolly when he gives him a start.

yeah , Pools' (about 10 miles north of Middlesbrough) played at 3pm - with Boro kicking off at around 6pm.
anyway , a bit long-winded , but here's an account of that dark summer of '86.
shows how bad it was , our local TV channel actually announced the death of the club (i'm sure they enjoyed it too).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesbrough_F.C._survival_from_liquidation

It sure is a small world. There is always someone who has been or will be in the same position.

This is the first match I've genuinely looked forward to for some time. The bottom has been reached, we're out of negative points and on our way up the league table. I don't see us challenging for promotion this year but hopefully next season we will be.
MK Dons don't seem particularly free scoring but are tight defensively so there could be a single goal in it. Feeling positive!

Are we gonna see vegas tomorrow at the chapel

MK Dons can score, so we have to be on our game tomorrow. They are a big strong team with a good defensive record. Whilst I would love to see our scoring run continue, a single goal could be enough either way. I still fancy us scoring 2 or 3 and obviously will be over the moon if we can. First and foremost thoug h we need to avoid defeat. That in itself will show that we have moved in the right direction.

I found this on an MK Dons fan site:

This week Karl Robinson claimed that a post match ticking off after the Oldham match had triggered the last three wins by the Dons. Well I'm not so sure. We've seen the Dons struggle at times against some of the poorer teams in League One and win by the most narrow of margins. I have a feeling this will be an enormous test of our promotion credentials as we take on a well funded and quickly improving giant of a club.

I have to admit I particularly like the last sentence!

Article

I won't be there tomorrow as us temps were told to turn up on Monday but we might not be needed (so therefore with the likelihood of no work next week I can't justify going).
Oh well. A comfy day in for me then.

Sorry you can't make it PU. Yes that is a very interesting post you have found from the MK site. Maybe other teams are beginning to notice how we are on the move. This giant may not be sleeping anymore.

I am usually on call at the weekends, but am off this week. So I will be there, Kingsland stand, block 29. Can't wait. Hope the rains stops.

Alf Tupper wrote:I am usually on call at the weekends, but am off this week. So I will be there, Kingsland stand, block 29. Can't wait. Hope the rains stops.

With your camera Alf?

Alf Tupper wrote:I am usually on call at the weekends, but am off this week. So I will be there, Kingsland stand, block 29. Can't wait. Hope the rains stops.

It should be clearing later according to the forecast.

It's just as well I can't make it, I feel like I have a touch of flu this morning so sitting in SMS for two hours hasn't got the same appeal it normally would.

Perennial Underachiever wrote:It's just as well I can't make it, I feel like I have a touch of flu this morning so sitting in SMS for two hours hasn't got the same appeal it normally would.

Awww...... ......hope you feel better soon.

6 mins McCracken misses from a corner

9 mins shot by Lallana saved

Same team as started at Oldham, Connolly on bench

9:50
A cross is delivered by Ndiaye Papa Waigo, Adam Lallana takes a shot. Blocked by Mathias Doumbe. Lloyd James takes a inswinging corner.

12:19
Foul by Richard Lambert on Darren Powell, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Darren Powell.

13:46
Unfair challenge on Adam Lallana by Jason Puncheon results in a free kick. Lloyd James restarts play with the free kick.

14:27
Ndiaye Papa Waigo takes a shot. Save made by Willy Gueret.