Josh McEachran provides honest assessment of MK Dons’ promotion chances

Milton Keynes Dons have had an excellent season in League One and they could end it in style by sneaking into the top two on the final day.

The Dons travel to sixth placed Plymouth Argyle in hoping to bridge the one point gap between them and second placed Rotherham United.

The Millers face off with relegation-threatened Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium, in a match that will probably be a lot tougher than the league table suggests.

Liam Manning deserves so much credit for galvanising a young squad that had lost their leader in Russell Martin on the cusp of the start of the third tier campaign.

But the former West Ham United academy coach has taken them to a new level, and they will be a force to be reckoned with in the play-offs, even if automatic promotion is unachievable.

Josh McEachran, 29, is now a senior player at the club and he offered an honest assessment of their promotion chances when he spoke to The Athletic.

He said: “It’s a massive day.

“We lost to Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford recently, but we got a good result against Morecambe at the weekend. The lads are in good spirits. We have overachieved massively with the budget we have.

“We know we have a great squad, but no one would have tipped us to be where we are now after where we finished last season (13th). It would be the first promotion of my career and I’d be very proud.

“Russell (Martin) was a great coach and it was a shock to all of us when he left. But Liam has come in and done an unbelievable job.

“It’s his first senior managerial role in England and he’s gone from strength to strength. Liam has a similar playing style to Russell’s. But he has his own way.

“It’s not as expansive. We’ve conceded fewer goals and chances. We have a bit less