Football Season Review

MK Dons had a decent season with the inexperienced Karl Robinson in charge as the Dons managed to spend the majority of the season in the top six, eventually clinching a Play-Off place with a fifth place finish. Following the miserable failure of Paul Ince in his second reign at Stadium MK, Robinson had a superb impact on the team. What was keeping the Dons inside the top six at the early stages of the season was their superb home form, but Robinson seemed unable to figure out a way to really compete away, as the Dons' away form was relegation material. Things changed midway through the season, as the departures of Jermaine Easter, who had a thoroughly disappointing season, failing to score a single goal for the Dons, and Aaron Wilbraham proved to have been blessings in disguise. The departures of the highly rated strikers allowed Robinson to switch to a 4-5-1 formation that helped him get the most out of his wingers, and rising star Sam Baldock, who was a constant source of goals for the Dons, whenever fit. Midfielders Peter Leven and Luke Chadwick were impressive throughout. A lot of quality in the Dons' play came from the wings, from players such as Angelo Balanta, who spent four months on the sidelines with an injury, Daniel Powell, who broke into the starting eleven after some stellar displays, as well as on-loan players such as Keanu Marsh-Brown and Rowan Vine. Unfortunately for the Dons, Peterborough managed to edge them out in the Play-Off semi final, overcoming a 3-2 away defeat with a 2-0 home win. Robinson and his players will be left wondering what would've happened if they had managed to hold onto the 3-1 lead they had in the home leg, with the Posh being reduced to ten men before clawing a goal back late in the game. Despite the eventual Play-Off heartbreak, the Dons' season will definitely be seen as a step in the right direction, and they will enter the next season as one of the favourites to go up.

Player of the Season: Peter Leven