Last minute heartache for Town after Ebanks-Landell deflects ball home
After making a huge impact to last week’s win versus Portsmouth, Shaun Whalley starts today’s game and gets the game underway at Stadium MK.
With both teams having plenty of chances throughout the first half, neither team could make the breakthrough and find the first goal. However, the first chance came for MK Dons within the first five minutes, after a ball finds Jordan Bowery who fires the half-volley over Max O’Leary’s goal.
Shortly after, a chance for Town with good build-up play between Shaun Whalley and Luke McCormick after they linked up with a few one-two’s, on the edge of the box but for only the ball to be deflected away.
Chances were coming in left right and centre for MK as George Williams whips a ball in from the right-wing but is cleared by the Town defence for a corner.
Before MK were allowed to regain play from the corner, the first sub of the game was made, just 11 minutes in as Ro-Shaun Williams went down with what looked like a hamstring injury. On comes Omar Beckles as his replacement.
As the play regained, it was a great corner by Williams that was crossed in for it to be only smashed over the bar by Bowery.
At the other end of the pitch, MK’s Kieran Agard mistakenly attempted to head the ball back to Lee Nicholls, however it ended up going out for a Town corner. A lovely training ground routine produced from Town, as Whalley steps up to take the corner but passed to Ryan Giles, who whips a cross to the back post, but Town just couldn’t make it.
More link-up play between Town down the right-wing after Donald Love, Whalley and McCormick, more one-two’s – they were unlucky that the cross didn’t go their way.
A massive chance for Steve Morison after a brilliant through ball into the box by Whalley – Morison just couldn’t connect with it and ends up hitting it over Nicholls’ bar.
Whalley produced a great run through MK’s defence which won Town a corner. Giles stepped up to cross it and finds Dave Edwards who heads the ball just over the bar.
As the half-hour strikes, MK look as if they’re going to break the deadlock after Jordan Houghton fires a shot blasting over O’Leary’s net.
More chances for Town as Giles sprints down the left-wing, crosses a ball in that falls to Love’s feet and he smashed it first time but is deflected out for a throw-in. The throw-in is delivered into the box to McCormick who manages to swipe and miss the ball completely.
A mistaken pass by Joe Walsh, saw Whalley free on goal however Nicholls was quick off his line to deny Whalley and smash it out for a throw-in to Town.
A long ball that switched the play by Love, fell for McCormick who has the confidence to take it on the volley, but he ends up slicing it out for a goal kick.
A great chance for Town on the stroke of half-time as Giles produced a brilliant run into the area after receiving a long ball from Vincelot. Giles crosses the ball into the box and falls to Edwards’ head, hits the bar and manages to be scrambled out of the box.
HALF-TIME MK Dons 0-0 Town
George Williams brings down Whalley as he was through on goal after he knocks the ball past him. However, the ball was deflected and kicked up the other end of the pitch.
Great defending by Ethan Ebanks-Landell after denying MK a breakthrough goal after he stopped the through ball going through to MK’s attacking line.
On the hour mark, Town looked to be in on goal as Whalley has the ball in the 18-yard area and has so much time, but is then quickly intercepted by MK’s defence, however, the ball ends up with Giles on the wing and wins a corner for Town. The corner is taken quickly by Whalley who finds Giles, who then finds McCormick and plays a through ball into the 6-yard-box and is bought down in the process, however, the linesman already called offside.
Town continue to apply pressure on MK’s backline, firing crosses in, winning headers, throw-ins, corners however they just cannot find an end product. One cross finds Morison’s head and is headed down to McCormick on the edge of the 18 and fires a half volley just over Nicholls’ goal.
Almost 15 minutes before time, saw two changes for Town, Luke McCormick and Steve Morison to be replaced by Brad Walker and Fejiri Okenabirhie who look to bring something different to the squad for the remainder of the game.
With three minutes added on for stoppage time MK continue to press and Town look to stay strong along the backline. However, a curled shot from substitute Rhys Healy saw the game change. Healy’s shot rattled the back of O’Leary’s net, after a deflection of defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell.
The game ended shortly after Town kicked the game back off.
Full-time MK Dons 1 – 0 Town