MK Dons boss Dan Micciche draws on positives after Blackpool stalemate

Posted Sunday, March 25, 2018 by PA

Dan Micciche believes MK Dons can take positives from their 0-0 draw with Blackpool as they bid to escape the Sky Bet League One relegation zone.

The result extended MK Dons’ unbeaten run to three games but they remain a point from safety.

A win would have seen them move out of the bottom four after Northampton and AFC Wimbledon failed to pick up points.

But Micciche was happy with the clean sheet and believes the club can build on the result in the coming weeks.

He said: “I was pleased with the performance and we showed that we looked solid again – the clean sheet shows that.

“I thought we created four or five good chances and all we haven’t done is find that winning goal.

“We’ve got seven points from nine and I think we would have all taken that a few weeks ago – it’s something we can build on and it’s decent form going into the business end of the season.

“I think we just ran out of time, maybe if we had had another five minutes we could have gone on to win the game.

“The team has a good understanding of the way we want to play now, they’re making better decisions in possession and that’s pleasing.

“We’d be naive to not keep an eye on what’s going on, but we just have to focus on ourselves and our style of play – as a club we have to stick together.”

Blackpool were the first to threaten when Kyle Vassell fired a powerful left-footed drive into the gloves of MK keeper Lee Nicholls, before Dons striker Chuks Aneke went close at the other end.

Substitute Robbie Muirhead wasted no time in testing Blackpool stopper Joe Lumley when he fired a powerful left-footed drive goalwards.

Ike Ugbo should have done better late on after Aneke’s lay-off inside the Blackpool box allowed the youngster a strike at goal, but his left-footed effort goalwards was well blocked.

Gary Bowyer’s side almost snatched a surprise winner at the death when Sean Longstaff’s effort hit the crossbar, but both sides were forced to share the points.

Blackpool boss Bowyer said: “We weren’t at our fluent best with the ball but when you come away from home and you keep a clean sheet you have to be pleased.

“We were dangerous on the counter-attack towards the end of the game but, from our point of view, we didn’t show what we were about today overall.

“That’s two weeks on the trot that Sean Longstaff has got into that position late on and we’re a bit disappointed that he didn’t score and he’s a bit disappointed in there too.”