Dreaming of making a late push for the playoffs in League Two, Cheltenham Town are set to host MK Dons at Whaddon Road on Saturday.
The Robins have bounced back from consecutive defeats and will be aiming to go three without a loss this weekend, while the Dons will be looking for some stability under their interim boss.
Match preview
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Michael Flynn's Cheltenham have already dropped 10 points this month, drawing two, losing two and winning just one of their five matches so far, and the manager will be disappointed that his team have not made the most of their opportunities given they remain only eight points from the playoffs.
Last time out, the Robins were leading 3-1 in the second half of their game against Swindon Town, but had captain Tom Bradbury sent off and went on to draw 3-3, conceding an 88th-minute equaliser.
That frustrating stalemate left Flynn's side 13th in the fourth tier ahead of this weekend's clash, with Colchester United eight in front and occupying seventh place on 58 points.
A home game could be the perfect opportunity for the hosts to bounce back from their heartbreak at the Nigel Eady County ground last week, and considering they have lost just one of their seven games at Whaddon Road in 2025, Cheltenham will feel confident of securing a positive result.
Should the Robins walk away with a fifth home win of the year across all competitions, then they could end the day level on points with 10th-placed Salford City, and may find themselves a more surmountable five points from the playoffs with eight league games left to play.
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Meanwhile, interim MK Dons boss, Ben Gladwin, has overseen just three matches since taking charge of the club after Scott Lindsey was sacked at the start of March, but he has managed to earn three times as many points as the former head coach did in the prior six fixtures.
That being said, the Dons have only avoided defeat once in their last five games - a 2-1 win over Morecambe on March 8 – and lost their most recent outing 3-0 against Port Vale.
That loss has Gladwin's men 18th in the table going into their trip to Cheltenham, though they are a comfortable 12 points ahead of the Shrimps in the relegation zone.
As the search continues for a new permanent appointment in the dugout, results are unlikely to improve this weekend for the visitors considering that they have lost seven of their nine away matches since the turn of the year, and only took maximum points on New Year's Day on the road to Chesterfield.
A rare victory for the Dons would be enough to see them leapfrog Barrow and move up to 17th, but another defeat could cause them to drop down to 21st if outcomes elsewhere stack up against them.
Team News
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Cheltenham will be without captain and centre-back Tom Bradbury this weekend after his red card last time out, and Sam Stubbs may be joined by the versatile Scot Bennett at the heart of defence.
At full-back, Darragh Power and Arkell Jude-Boyd picked up injuries against AFC Wimbledon and Colchester respectively earlier this month, so expect Ibrahim Bakare and Valintino Adedakun to start on Saturday.
As for MK Dons, striker Danilo Orsi-Dadomo will be supported by Joe White and Alex Gilbey from their hybrid attacking midfield and wide positions, while Daniel Crowley and Callum Tripp patrol the centre of the park.
In the backline, Luke Offord, Nico Lawrence and Laurence Maguire will be tasked with protecting goalkeeper Connal Trueman between the sticks.
Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Day; Bakare, Stubbs, Bennett, Adedokun; Thomas, Kinsella, Dieng; Archer; Hay, Miller
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Trueman; Offord, Lawrence, Maguire; Lemonheigh-Evans, Crowley, Tripp, Tomlinson; White, Gilbey; Orsi-Dadomo
We say: Cheltenham Town 2-1 MK Dons
Neither side have been in the strongest form ahead of this weekend, but MK Dons struggled for months under their former boss and have continued that trend with their current interim manager.
On the other hand, Cheltenham will see this match as an opportunity to make up the ground on the playoff spots that they lost in recent weeks, so expect a win for the hosts on Saturday.
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