Jackson has used his Leeds United connections to get help preparing for Accrington

Mark Jackson has reached out to people at his former club Leeds United to get the inside line on this Saturday’s opponents Accrington Stanley.

MK Dons head to the Wham Stadium a spot behind Stanley in League One, knowing a win would lift them out of the bottom four and above their opponents.

But after the sides shared a 1-1 draw at Stadium MK earlier this season, and with both sides fighting for their League One lives, getting the points will be no easy task, according to Dons’ head coach Jackson.

In preparing for the game, Jackson said he had reached out to former colleagues at Leeds for their scouting help into Accrington following the Whites’ FA Cup win at the Wham Stadium back in January.

Jackson said: “We've watched them a lot, spoken to people at Leeds about them about their FA Cup game, and they said they're a dangerous side and are hard to break down. We’ll try our best to be prepared for that. Every game is an opportunity. It will be a really tough test.

“Although we're buoyant after Saturday’s win over Cambridge, we can't get carried away. As soon as you take your foot off the gas in a game, it can come back to bite you.”

At opposite ends of their first-team coaching careers, Jackson said he is also eager to pit his wits against John Coleman - a veteran of more than 25 years as a manager.

Jackson added: “He's a really experienced manager, I've so much respect for John and what he's done in the game. It will be a challenge for the team going up against Accrington and it will be a challenge for me going up against someone with such pedigree.

“It's always a privilege to stand side-by-side with a manager like that.”