Cheltenham Town take on MK Dons at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium in League One on Saturday, in a contest between two sides looking to steer themselves clear of the relegation zone.
The home side are currently 18th in the league standings, while the visitors occupy 21st place.
Match preview
In their second full season back in England's third tier, Cheltenham are around where they would have expected, below the middle of the table but with a healthy four-point gap separating them and the relegation zone.
The Robins will be happy to be on home soil, as form at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium has been key to keeping them clear of the drop, picking up 12 of their 17 total points on their own turf, with their away record being the worst in the whole league.
The five league wins Wade Elliott's side have acquired so far have largely been closely-fought encounters, winning four of them by just one goal, including their latest match, a 1-0 home victory against Morecambe.
Ben Williams netted the only goal in the midweek affair, scoring from close range after getting on the end of a Ryan Jackson cross, firing his side to an important three points, particularly considering the Robins had lost their three previous games.
Being able to grind out a result has been key for Cheltenham so far, also picking up impressive 1-0 wins against Bolton Wanderers and Exeter City, who are both in the hunt for the playoff places.
However, MK Dons have so far not been able to do the same, losing seven of their last nine League One matches, a run of form that leaves them inside the relegation zone and two points off Oxford United, who also have a game in hand.
After missing out on promotion to the Championship last season by finishing just one point behind second-placed Rotherham United, the Dons have so far failed to emulate their form from last season, and risk becoming embroiled in a battle at the other end of the table if they do not improve.
There are some signs of recovery for Liam Manning's side however, winning 2-0 away at playoff-chasing Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night courtesy of second-half goals from Will Grigg and Bradley Johnson.
Form on the road has been key for last season's playoff semi-finalists, with the club having the worst home record in League One, picking up just four points in eight outings at Stadium MK.
As such, the Dons will have to put in the kind of performance that produced a 4-0 victory at Morecambe and a 2-1 win at Oxford United, if they stand any chance of getting a result at a ground that has been a difficult place to go at times this season.
Team News
Will Ferry is expected to be out for around eight weeks with an injury sustained earlier this month, with Ben Williams, who scored on Tuesday night, instead set to start at left-back.
Striker Alfie May suffered an ankle injury during the 2-0 win against Shrewsbury Town at the start of October, a big miss for the Robins considering that he has the most goal contributions in the squad, helping himself to three goals and two assists.
In his absence, Dan Nlundulu and George Lloyd have more often than not been chosen up front, although Lloyd has struggled to replace May's goal contributions, yet to get off the mark in League One this season.
For MK Dons, Will Grigg has been a bright spark despite their poor start to the season, weighing in with five goals in 13 appearances, including two in his last three games, so he is very likely to keep his place at striker.
Even in the twilight of his career, 38-year-old Dean Lewington has been a consistent starter at the club he has been at since 2004, and he is expected to play again at centre-back next to Zak Jules and Warren O'Hora.
Mo Eisa made an 11-minute cameo against Charlton on Tuesday after returning from injury, and he could get more minutes on Saturday, with the same applying to Dawson Devoy.
Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Southwood; Raglan, Taylor, Freestone; Jackson, Sercombe, Perry, Williams, Broom; Lloyd, Nlundulu
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Cumming; Jules, Lewington, O'Hora; Harvie, Johnson, McEachran, Lawrence; Barry, Holland, Grigg
We say: Cheltenham Town 1-0 MK Dons
Cheltenham Town have been solid at home so far this season, and we expect them to grind out another one-goal victory in this one. Even though MK Dons recorded a good win away at Charlton on Tuesday, it is too early to say whether they will turn around their poor start to the season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Dominic Lund
