Promotion ‘wasn’t on the horizon’ for Dons at the start of the season

Captain Dean Lewington has admitted the prospect of getting promoted to the Championship did not look a possibility at the start of the season.

Russell Martin had guided Dons to a 13th place finish in League One last time out playing a bold brand of football which drew critics and plaudits in equal measure.

The acrimonious departure of Martin to Swansea City before the first league game of the season against Bolton Wanderers thrust Lewington into the dugout as temporary manager before the appointment of Liam Manning a week later.

From there, few, including Lewington, would have predicted though that the club would be fighting for an automatic promotion spot with six weeks to go.

“At the start of the season it [promotion] wasn’t really on the horizon,” he admitted in an interview with Sky Sports. “We were developing as a team and a club and, when Russ left, it looked even more in doubt.

“Since Liam has come in, we have re-grouped and deserve to be where we are.

“Any success is great and promotion would be fantastic, especially to get the club back into the Championship, which is a massive step up the leagues. When you see the calibre of teams there, it is a huge step and it would be great for the club to get there.

“Fingers crossed we are heading in that direction and we can try and achieve that aim.”

Asked about the differences between Martin’s style and the one implemented by Manning since he took over, Lewington said Dons have more flexibility now under their current boss and feel less restricted by the way they are asked to play.

He said: “We have tried to be more of a rounded team this year. We try to pass out from the back when we can and do the things that go with our brand of football. But we’re not slaves to it - if we need to turn teams and buy a bit of space, we can do that as well.

“It is about finding that mixture and that balance and, during the second half of the season, we have got that right more often than not.”