MK Dons boss Karl Robinson spoke to his club’s official website ahead of his side’s League One match against Carlisle at stadium:mk this evening, Robinson first talking about his former player Sean O’Hanlon:
“He’s a great fella and probably the hardest decision of my managerial career was releasing him on a free transfer, the day after the play-off defeat to Peterborough United. He gave his heart and soul to the Football Club but we were moving onto other things and, financially, we couldn’t afford to give him a new deal. I’ll never forget coming in that day and having to do that. It’s still something that hurts me because he’s a good man and I would go as far to say he’s the best centre-half the club has ever had.
“We paid quite a bit of money for him and at that time I think he was one of our biggest signings. He did really well that year under Martin Allen and then he found a mate called Danny Swailes and if you asked any MK Dons fan to write down a back four them two would be at the heart of it. Shaun Williams would probably push for a place now.
“He scored one of the most iconic goals in the Club’s history, off his nose, his stomach and his knee into the goal at Wembley. One thing I’ll know about Sean, when the ball is in the air and he’s made a decision to go up and get it, everything’s coming with it and you’re likely to get knocked back a long way.
“I expect quality, hunger and desire from Carlisle to try to win a football match. Graham Kavanagh and I seem to bump into each other every summer in an Irish bar in Spain, but he is a great character and a really good football man. I really respect him, I like him as a person. Sadly, and I know he will say the same, for him to get the opportunity a good friend of his lost his job, but that is the way the industry is, it is the only way we get opportunities.
“Greg Abbott doing what he did at Carlisle was a testimony to him and Kav being his number two, and now Kav gets the stresses and the strains that we have. I hope he really does become successful because he is just a great fella and a very hardened man. He played football with quality and determination, and I am sure his team will be no different.”
In team news for the Dons this evening they will be missing at least six players through injury and suspension, with centre-half Shaun Williams firstly absent he sees out a one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards. Injury-wise meanwhile sidelined are central midfielder Dele Alli (ankle), striker Dean Bowditch (hip), central midfielder Stephen Gleeson (calf), centre-half Antony Kay (hip) and goalkeeper David Martin (calf).
Added to that the home side also have doubts over the participation of central midfielder Luke Chadwick (foot), while striker Jason Banton and central midfielder Darren Potter both missed training yesterday through illness. Aside from team news the Dons will be wearing black armbands this evening following the sad death through cancer of four-year old fan Henry Allen at the weekend, Allen’s family currently fundraising in association with Families Against Neuroblastoma - http://thehenryallenappeal.com/
The referee for this evening's match is Andy D’Urso from Billericay in Essex and he will be assisted down the lines by Nick Cooper from Ipswich and Ashvin Degnarain from Islington in North London. Meanwhile the fourth official is David Avent from Northampton. Referee D'Urso also responsible for conducting a minute's applause before the match in memory of Henry Allen.