MK Dons win over Sunderland gives their promotion rivals a psychological edge going into the business part of the season.
Liam Manning claims his side's 'resilience, toughness, competitiveness and intensity' gave them a platform in the game to go on and grab all three points at the Stadium of Light.
The win sees Dons move five points clear of the Black Cats, as Alex Neil's side slipped further down the table.
Sunderland boss Alex Neil explains the stark choice he faces when selecting his starting XI
The Wearsiders are now left fighting for their play-off place after a dismal run of form since the turn of the year has all but ended their automatic promotion hopes.
In contrast, MK Dons say in touch with the top two and will be hoping to stay hot on their heels in the coming weeks.
“I'm delighted for the lads - it epitomises the group,” Manning told MK Citizen. “Our foundations are built on a strong culture and the group showed resilience, toughness, competitiveness and intensity.
“That gave us a platform to be in the game, and we showed a real togetherness to step up and deliver.
“Jamie (Cumming) didn't have too many saves to make again. We've shown we're good on the ball, but we've also shown how difficult we are to beat. We've shown it a few times this year.
“If you want to be in a position to get results, you have to be compact and everyone has to buy into defending and we did that.”
