Why the MK Dons boss 'can't wait' to take on Portsmouth

The Dons languish in the League One relegation zone and are two points adrift of safety after being held to a 2-2 draw at fellow-strugglers Southend on Boxing Day.

However, their form has picked up at Stadium MK since Martin succeeded Paul Tisdale as manager, having defeated Oxford and Coventry in their past two games on their own patch.

And while Kenny Jackett’s men head to Buckinghamshire after defeating leaders Wycombe and second-placed Ipswich, all five of their loses this campaign have been on the road.

The Blues will be back by an army of support at MK Dons, with more than 4,000 making the trip.

And Martin is relishing the clash.

He told the Milton Keynes Citizen: ‘I can't wait to get home to be honest, where we've been good.

‘Form has been good and performances have been really good. I'm hoping it is a game that will suit us better than the last two have.

‘We've lost one game in four, and if we carry that one we'll be OK, but if you look at Doncaster and Rotherham, we dropped points in them and it was frustrating and if we dealt with them, we'd have been sitting much better in the table.

‘We've got two games at home in front of our fans, and Portsmouth will bring a few and it'll make for a good atmosphere.

‘It's up to us now to show that we've learned from the last two games and to improve especially in the second halves.’