PREVIEW: The Sky Blues travel to MK Dons on Saturday

City will be backed by more than 6000 fans...

18 October 2019

The Sky Blues travel to MK Dons on Saturday looking to get back on track with three points. Here is all you need to know about Paul Tisdale’s side.

FACT FILE:

Name: Milton Keynes Dons

Nickname: The Dons

Founded: 2004

Stadium: Stadium MK

Address: Denbigh, Milton Keynes MK1 1ST

Capacity: 30,500

Pitch Dimensions: 105 x 68

stadium .jpg

THE OPPOSITION

After promotion from Sky Bet League Two last campaign, MK Dons currently sit 18^th in the Sky Bet League One table with 12 points. The Dons are yet to draw a game this season with four victories and eight defeats.

They have picked up nine of their points at home as they started life back in League One with a 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury and followed it up with a 2-1 win over Lincoln in their next home league match.

MK Dons have struggled on the road with defeats at: Wycombe, Accrington Stanley, Sunderland and Bristol Rovers, however they did pick up an impressive 3-0 victory at Blackpool and a penalty shoot-out win at rivals AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao cup.

Over the summer, The Dons lost Chuks Aneke to Charlton who he was influential in their promotion scoring 19 goals in all competitions last season. To fill the void, MK Dons have recruited forwards Jordan Bowery and Rhys Healey who have scored four goals between them so far this campaign.

MANAGER

Paul Tisdale began life in football as a player for Southampton where he spent six years, which in that time included loan spells to Northampton Town and Huddersfield Town. Tisdale then went on to play a hand full of games for Yeovil Town and Bristol City before becoming player manager at Exeter in 2006.

Tisdale just missed out on promotion in his first season after losing in the final to Morecambe however success followed in the second, after a play-off win over Cambridge sent Exeter to the Football League.

Tisdale made it back to back promotions the following season after a 2^nd place finish saw Exeter move into League One and Tisdale made history becoming the first Exeter manger to achieve back to back promotions with the club.

He remained at the club for another nine years with three of them in League One before leaving his post after the 2017/18 season with a play-off final defeat.

Tisdale was appointed manger of newly relegated MK Dons in June 2018 ahead of the new season where Tisdale guided the club back to League One at the first attempt after a third place finish.

LAST 6 GAMES:

Lost- MK Dons 0-1 Southend

Lost- MK Dons 0-2 Liverpool (Carabao Cup)

Lost- Sunderland 2-1 MK Dons

Won- MK Dons 1-0 Fulham U23’s (Leasing.com trophy)

Lost- MK Dons 0-3 Burton Albion

Lost- Bristol Rovers 1-0 MK Dons

HEAD TO HEAD

Coventry wins: 4

Draws: 2

MK Dons wins: 3

OUR LAST VISIT:

Coventry’s last visit to MK Dons represented another fruitful visit to Stadium MK for the Sky Blues.

Riding the crest of a wave after the scalp of Premier League Stoke in the previous round of the FA cup, City travelled to Milton Keynes with a near 8,000 supporters.

A scrappy goal on 64 minutes, from Max Biamou, was enough to seal City’s passage into the next round.

This was another sparkling performance from City during a season in which they sealed promotion back to League One, whilst MK Dons went the other way and were relegated into League Two.

CLUB CONNECTIONS:

Clinton Morrison:

Clinton Morrison began his career with Crystal Palace after coming through their academy and signing his first professional contract in 1998.

Morrison spent four years at the club playing 157 games scoring an impressive 61 goals but Morrison failed to recapture his form at second club Birmingham City between 2002-2005.

After scoring 14 goals in 87 games, Morrison re-joined Palace where he scored another 41 goals for the Eagles before joining the Sy Blues in 2008 where he featured 91 times scoring 21 goals.

Morrison featured on loan for Mk Dons in 2011 where he scored 3 goals in just 6 games before featuring for Brentford, Colchester United and Exeter City.

Kyle McFadzean:

McFadzean started his career in non-league football with Alfreton Town and Crawley Town respectively, having been released by Sheffield United, and helped Crawley achieve back-to-back promotions from the Conference to League One during a four-year spell with the West Sussex club.

He was named in the team of the season in both of Crawley’s promotion-winning campaigns before joining MK Dons in June 2014. McFadzean achieved another promotion with the Dons, helping them reach the Championship for the first time in the club’s history.

The defender moved to Burton in July 2016, signing for a then club-record fee, and spent three seasons with the Brewers making 121 appearances for the club.

McFadzean joined the Sky Blues over the summer and could return from suspension against his former club.

OFFICIALS

John Busby, who has officiated in five League One games, three League Two games, three Carabao Cup games and one Leasing.com game, will be the man in the middle for Saturday’s clash.

In his 12 games, Busby has brandished 43 yellow cards and four reds.

It will be the first time that Busby has refereed a City game this season, with his last fixture coming back in April 2019 in the 5-4 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

He will be assisted by Paul Hobday and Leigh Crowhurst, while Anthony Da Costa will act as fourth official.

Kit

Coventry City will be wearing the yellow away kit.

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Match Reports

REPORT: MK Dons 0-0 Sky Blues

City gain hard earned point...

19 October 2019

The Sky Blues came away from MK Dons with a point on Saturday as City were backed by over 6,000 supporters at Stadium: MK.

Had Jordy Hiwula’s 53^rd minute spot kick found the net; City could have been leaving with all three points after a scrappy affair between the two sides.

City dominated possession in the early stages and kept the ball well but it was MK Dons who had the first opportunity, as a corner from the left flashed across the box before being lifted back into the area only for Michael Rose to head clear.

Fifteen minutes in, The Sky Blues had their first opening as a cross from the right found Hiwula at the back post who tried to send the ball back across the area for Amadou Bakayoko, however his pass failed to find the front man.

It was then MK Dons chance to go forward, as the ball broke to Hiram Boateng just inside the penalty area and the attacker looked to pull the trigger but was denied by a superb sliding challenge from Sam McCallum.

Twenty minutes from half time Liam Walsh drove from the heart of midfield, and played a ball through to Callum O’Hare who unleashed a left footed shot from twelve yards but his effort was blocked by the recovering defender Jordan Moore-Taylor.

On the half hour mark Bakayoko had the best opportunity of the half, as a free kick was played short to McCallum who floated a cross into the area however, from six yards out, the striker couldn’t direct his header goalward.

Just moments before half time Hiwula had an effort from the edge of the box which was deflected wide for a corner which MK Dons cleared to send the teams into the break level.

HALF TIME: MK DONS 0-0 SKY BLUES

Just three minutes into the second half, O’Hare drove with the ball from the right and won a free kick 22 yards out which was drilled towards goal by Jordan Shipley but was met by an equally good save by Lee Nicholls.

Two minutes later City captain Shipley had another effort saved as McCallum pulled the ball back from a tight angle for Shipley to sweep his shot into the gloves of Nicholls.

Fifty-three minutes in Hiwula latched onto a short back pass from George Williams and knocked the ball past the on-rushing ‘keeper Nicholls who hauled down the winger resulting in a penalty for the Sky Blues.

Hiwula stepped up to take the spot kick however his right footed effort was well saved by Nicholls who dived low to his left to palm the ball away.

Just a minute after the penalty, The Dons broke at the other end and the ball fell to Boateng who found himself in space 12 yards out but Marko Marosi was equal to his effort and made a great save to beat the ball away from danger.

Fifteen minutes from the end, City broke from their own box as O’Hare drove forward with the ball and released substitute Gervane Kastaneer down the left who cut inside and took aim from the edge of the box however his shot was blocked.

Just four minutes from time MK Dons substitute Ben Reeves unleashed a powerful strike from 25 yards only to see his effort cannon back off the cross bar meaning the points were shared.

FULL TIME: MK DONS 0-0 SKY BLUES

GOALS: N/A

YELLOW CARDS: George Williams 1’, Callum Brittain 61’, Dean Lewington 64’, David Kasumu 66’, Jordan Moore-Taylor 68’, Alex Gilbey 79’.

RED CARDS: N/A

ATTENDANCE: 13,621 (6,274 Sky Blues)

MK DONS XI: Lee Nicholls (GK), George Williams, Dean Lewington (C), Joe Walsh, Alex Gilbey (Kieran Agard 84’), Jordan Moore-Taylor, Conor McGrandles, Jordan Houghton, Callum Brittain, Hiram Boateng (Ben Reeves 70’), David Kasumu

UNUSED SUBS: Stuart Moore (GK), Regan Poole, Baily Cargill, Brennan Dickenson, Ryan Haley.

SKY BLUES XI: Marko Marosi (GK), Fankaty Dabo, Michael Rose, Dom Hyam, Sam McCallum, Liam Walsh, Zain Westbrooke, Jordan Shipley, Callum O’Hare, Jordy Hiwula (Gervane Kastaneer 70’), Amadou Bakayoko (Max Biamou 63’)

UNUSED SUBS: Ben Wilson (GK), Tennai Watson, Brandon Mason, Kyle McFadzean, Liam Kelly.

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