Simon Grayson: Fleetwood unfortunate not to end home campaign with another clean sheet

The draw left Fleetwood 15th in League One going into Sunday’s last game of the campaign at Ipswich Town (12pm).

The highest that Grayson’s men can finish is 14th, provided that Crewe Alexandra lose and Town win.

They will go into the game looking to bow out with three points after winning only one of their last five matches.

“I can’t remember them (MK Dons) really having a shot on target,” Grayson said of Saturday’s draw.

“I told the players at half-time to keep doing the same things in the second half, because if we go and do something else they would find a way of passing round us and create more problems than in the first half.

“We kept the same shape and then Ged got a fantastic goal, but then we missed opportunities to get a second.”

Last Saturday’s draw was Grayson’s 20th match in charge since arriving at Highbury at the end of January.

Fleetwood have performed solidly at the back in that time, conceding only 20 goals – five of those in one game at Burton Albion last week.

Only three sides in League One have conceded fewer goals than Town’s 43 this season – champions Hull City (37) and top-six duo Blackpool (37) and Sunderland (41).

MK Dons’ 83rd-minute equaliser left Grayson cursing his players’ ill fortune.

He explained: “We were more disappointed about the throw-in they got, because they’ve got out of a tight situation too easily and got a shot from the edge of the box.

“Alex (Cairns, Town keeper) has made a great save. Sometimes those end up with the ball going to a centre-back and he clears it.

“It’s unfortunate from our point of view that the rebound fell to their centre-forward, who put it in the back of the net, but these things happen.

“Overall, though, I was pleased with how the lads applied themselves against really good opposition.”

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