Paul Warne beaming as MK Dons close in on automatic promotion

Manager Paul Warne reflected on the difference a year can make as MK Dons edged closer to promotion after a 3-1 victory at Crewe.

Warne secured his first win for the club a year ago at the Mornflake Stadium, a success which ended League Two relegation fears.

Now, after a winning return to Crewe’s home, the transformed Dons could clinch a place in League One with victory over ailing Tranmere next Saturday.

Realistically one more point should do as Warne’s side have such a superior goal difference to rivals Notts County and Salford.

The division’s most prolific goalscorers added another three to their tally with Curtis Nelson and Marvin Ekpiteta heading in during a one-side first half and skipper Alex Gilbey firing in after the break before Crewe hit back through substitute Adrien Thibaut.

Warne said: “We came here last year needing to win and hoping that Carlisle didn’t get a good result.

“If you’d offered this to me 12 months ago I’d have been happy, although a year is a long time in football and it is a different-looking team. I have been trying to plan a promotion for the last year.

“It was a really good first-half performance and we knew Crewe would come back at us in the second half, but we limited them to few chances.

“We changed our shape in the second half and saw the game out. I was really pleased to see Gilbs score again and for my two centre-halves to score.

“I expect us to be a threat on set pieces and you can’t underestimate the importance of a set-piece goal.

“We rode our luck a bit with the decision over a tangle of bodies in our box. But we did enough against a good footballing side and it sets us up for next week.”

Defeat ended Crewe’s play-off bid, which had been faltering with two defeats from their previous three games.

Manager Lee Bell said: “MK Dons are an extremely powerful, athletic team who do what they do well. They have got some big players and the second goal came at a poor time for us.

“We had to make a couple of changes at half-time and the players responded well. There were a couple of things in there that might have changed the outcome.

“But they’re a good team and we have to suck it up and move it on.

“The squad depth has meant we’ve just fallen short, but there are some good things that have happened this season and there will possibly be some conversations to be had to see what we’ve got to do to improve next season.”