Milton Keynes Dons face a potentially season-defining opportunity when they travel to take on Stockport County this Saturday (23rd March).
The Dons currently sit fourth in the League Two standings after picking up a crucial three points against fellow playoff-sitters Crewe Alexandra last weekend, courtesy of a 3-1 victory.
The result thrust the Dons forward, tying both Wrexham and Stockport County on points with 67 at the time, with those two teams currently occupying automatic promotion places in third and second respectively.
Mike Williamson and co would undoubtedly prefer to end the season with promotion guaranteed through one of those places, rather than the uncertainty of the playoffs, and Saturday's tie at Edgeley Park could very well present an opportunity to put that goal within reach.
With two matches over the Dons, Stockport had the opportunity to create space between them and their closest rivals with a midweek fixture against Crawley Town, but were only able to walk away with a 1-1 draw, giving them a solitary point over Wrexham and the Dons.
Saturday's fixture could define the season for either side, with the home team hoping to strengthen their automatic promotion case, while the visitors could play spoilers and leapfrog the hosts should they achieve victory.
While teams around them still have matches in hand, a win against Stockport, who have been one of the strongest teams in the league all season, would be a huge morale boost for the Dons and could set them up for a positive run to end the 2023/24 campaign.
Since Mike Williamson took over, the Dons have been the form team in League Two, picking up the most points in the league since the change in coaching staff, while they sit second in the league in points over their last ten.
The Dons cannot afford to get stuck in League Two beyond this season, and strong performances over their final seven matches could go a long way to putting themselves in the automatic promotion picture.
The final push starts on Saturday, against a team who have drawn four of their last five fixtures, and it could truly be the moment where the Dons' ultimate fate begins to take form.
