By Steve Manning
The Dons v Peterborough United – Preview
Venue: Stadium MK (capacity: 30,500 for Football)
Competition: EFL League One – Matchday 10 of 46.
Form
Dons (18th) P 9, W 3, D 1, L 5, GF 9, GA 11, Pts 10
Top Scorer: Will Grigg – 3 goals.
Top Assist Provider: Dawson Devoy – 2 assists.
Posh (8th) P 10, W 5, D 0, L 5, GF 17, GA 10, Pts 15
Top scorer: Jonson Clarke Harris – 7 goals.
Top assist Provider: Joe Ward – 4 assists.
Previous results: The Dons beat Oxford United 2-1 away – 17/09/22, while Posh won 3-0 at home to Port Vale – 24/09/22.
Head-to-Head
Dons wins: 10 Drawn: 5 Posh wins: 13 Dons goals: 35 Posh goals: 42
Previous Meeting
16th January 2021: Peterborough United 3 The Dons 0 – League 1.
Oxford United 1 Dons 2 – Review
Will Grigg climbed off the subs bench away at Oxford to clinch all 3 points as the struggling Dons climbed out of the danger zone near the bottom of the League 1 standings. Grigg had only been on the field of play since the 78th minute, and it took him a little over 6 out of the 12 minutes remaining to win a crucial penalty decision when set through on goal by Bradley Johnson and keeper Simon Eastwood felled the Northern Irishman in the box.
In true Grigg style, he picked himself up and slammed home the ball in ferocious, and emphatic style to gift the travelling Dons a two-goal lead.
Earlier in the game Welsh International Matt Smith scored with a deflected but smart right-footed strike just a minute before half-time as the Dons continued to press the Oxford rear guard. The game had been ebbing and flowing at this point with either side threatening to score at any time. Fellow midfielder Dawson Devoy claimed his second assist of the season, when he threaded a loose ball through the ball to his teammate deep in the Oxford half.
It was Grigg who would go on to steal the headlines though as he sealed the victory late on in the game. With the result all but assured Manning’s men stepped off the gas pedal as Oxford searched for a very unlikely point. Then
Dons’ nerves were rattled as John Mousinho bagged an 89th minute consolation for the U’s, beating Cumming with relative ease. Oxford then smelt blood, and that chance of a point at least. Deep into stoppage time the talismanic Cameron Brannigan went close to stealing that point, but he couldn’t put away his effort watching it sail way over and into the car park as Liam Manning breathed a very big sigh of relief, and his side ended a run of two straight back-to-back losses.
How could Dons line up?
With the return of Dave Martin to the Goalkeepers Union, it facilitates a switch to the preferred 4-2-3-1 of Manning, and Hogg moving forward once Jamie Cumming returns to Stamford Bridge. This is not that time in my honest opinion. A 3-4-3 is the likeliest formation today.
Possible Dons starting XI
Jamie Cumming
Jack Tucker, Warren O’Hora, Dean Lewington (c)
Daniel Oyegoke, Josh McEachran, Dawson Devoy, Daniel Harvie
Matthew Smith, Will Grigg, Josh Kayode.
How could Posh line up?
Grant McCann likes to utilise a 4-3-3 attacking formation, with Clarke-Harris as his colonel in attack. A 3-0 win last Saturday ended a run of 4 straight defeats though and the tactics have not always worked in the Northern Irishman’s favour.
Possible Posh starting XI
Bergstrom
Ward, Knight, Kent, Burrows
Taylor, Thompson, Fuchs
Poku, Clarke-Harris, Jones.
One’s to watch
28. Dawson Devoy – The Dons, Dawson’s stock in the middle of Dons midfield pairing continues to rise. He claimed a second assist against Oxford two weeks ago and has shown multiple times over the past few weeks the type of threat that he carries in attacking situations going forward. A tenacious tackler this lad has all the skill set required to make an impact against this Posh side.
9. Jonson Clarke-Harris – The Posh, There is not much that hasn’t been written about Jonson lately that I could reasonably do justice with here. Clarke-Harris is an all-round goal-scoring machine, Peterborough’s club captain and one of the most sought-after frontmen in the English game at the moment. JCH is Posh’s biggest goal threat, and as such needs to be given attention if we are to nullify him today.
Score Prediction
Dons 2 Peterborough 2
A Score draw is the likeliest result if this Dons side turns up today, we are not quite at the level yet where I’m confident we can take teams like Peterborough on but with Dons at home, I am more than hopeful that a share of those points are ours.
Goal-Scorers
Will Grigg, and Josh Kayode to net for the Dons.
Match Odds supplied by Oddschecker
Dons win: 2/1 Draw: 9/4 Posh win: 13/10
Game to finish 2-1 to the Dons: 9/1
Grigg to score first, and Dons to win 2-1: 30/1
Memberships Available
The MKDSA are taking memberships, and renewals, for the 2022/23 season, from as little as £3 per adult, £1.50 per child, or £8 per family (2 adults, 2 children) for the campaign. Life memberships are also available to buy at £25. Get yourself one today and be entered into our monthly cash prize draw. It could be you! You can buy anytime online via www.mkdsa.org.uk, and clicking on the membership tab, or alternatively visit us at the MKDSA stand situated on the upper concourse, on any home match day. Card payments are accepted in person as well.
If you are going to the SMK today, enjoy it and I wish you safe travels to, and from the game.
Until Next Time, SM.
