MANNING HAILS SPIRITED DONS
LIAM Manning praised the team spirit that helped MK Dons bounce back with a win over Morecambe to keep alive their automatic promotion hopes.
The Dons had taken only one point from their past three games before the Shrimps’ visit to Stadium MK.
However, goals either side of the break from Harry Darling and Daniel Harvie were enough to get them back on track as they remain level on points with second-placed Rotherham United, albeit having played a game more.
Manning said: “I had complete confidence that we would respond the way we did. After such a good run and having the results we have done the last couple of games, it is always going to test you.
“The team ethic, the togetherness that we have, the respect they have for each other, you’re able to bounce back and it was really pleasing.
“We had good control
throughout the game, we were difficult to beat.”
In the opening exchanges, Cole Stockton missed the target with an ambitious lob for Morecambe, while Darling had a long-range effort deflected over the top.
Darling thwarted Arthur Gnahoua with a well-timed tackle in the box, before going on to open the scoring in the 20th minute. A solo run from inside his own half saw him evade the away side’s defenders. He then turned and got his right-footed shot away and it took a nick off a post on its way into the back of Trevor Carson’s goal.
The home side dominated
the remainder of the first half, but were unable to add to their tally.
Midfielder Scott Twine was at the centre of everything and went close to scoring his 17th goal of the season 13 minutes into the second half, but Carson pulled off a great save.
With a little over ten minutes of the game remaining, the home side doubled their lead.
After advancing in-field, Harvie tried his luck from outside the box.
His effort took a slight deflection off Rhys Bennett before finding its way into the back of the net. Kelser Hayden almost made it three with seven minutes remaining, but Carson managed to save with his legs.
The defeat leaves Morecambe two points outside the relegation zone and the Shrimps host Sunderland next week in their final league fixture of the campaign.
Boss Derek Adams said: “It was always going to be a difficult game for us. MK Dons are a very good side that are trying to push into the automatic promotion places.
“We have got ourselves out of the relegation zone, three teams can’t catch us and it is a three-team race now to stay up between ourselves, Fleetwood and Gillingham.”