MK Dons 3-0 Rovers
Tuesday, 12th March 2013 at Stadium:mk, Milton Keynes
Npower League 1
Milton Keynes Dons 3 DONCASTER ROVERS 0
Referee – Mr Keith Stroud
Attendance – 6,804 (453 visitors)
A cool and spring-like evening met the Rovers for their first-ever visit to stadium.mk. The Rovers made an enforced change, James Harper replacing the injured David Syers, whose ankle was injured in the last second of the game by a tackle on Saturday. The Dons also made one change, Dean Bowditch replacing Jon Otsemobor. The Rovers defended the North Stand end in the first half where their supporters were situated.
The home team got the game underway but in the second minute McLoughlin, the Dons keeper, came out of his area to clear a punt down the middle but miskicked but Hume couldn’t get to it and a defender cleared. Then, a free kick to the home team, 25yards out to the left of goal, was put wide of the near post by Lines. Some indifferent midfield play followed before the fifteenth minute when a long throw by Spurr into the home penalty area came out to Harper on the edge of the area for him to shoot into the net. Unfortunately the ‘goal’ didn’t stand because the referee decided there had been an infringement earlier. Minutes later and a good strike by Lines from 25yards was saved by Woods at the second attempt. Over the next ten minutes the Dons had a good spell of pressure but the Rovers defence coped well. Just before the half hour Bowditch got in a strike from 25yards but he put well wide of the far post. Then a free kick by Cotterill from the Rovers left was overhit and went out for a goalkick. In the 32nd minute, a well struck free kick from the home left by Lines was pushed on to the near post and back into play, with Woods blocking an effort from the Dons to force the ball over the line. Shortly after a cross from the Dons right from Williams was headed against the bar from close range by lines but he was given offside by the assistant referee anyway. The home side continued to press and in the 40th minute a good strike from distance had Woods diving to his right to push back into play and McLEOD, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, followed up to put the ball into the net.
Half Time – MK Dons 1 Doncaster Rovers 0
The Rovers made a change at the start of the second half, Andy Griffin coming on for Rob Jones. The home team went on the attack straight away and Bowditch fired wide from 20yards. Then, at the other end a free kick by Cotterill was eventually cleared and a knockdown by Coppinger for Husband gave the latter a shot at goal but he put wide. Lowe, for the home side, then had a go from the edge of the penalty area but put wide. The 56th minute brought added woe to the Rovers when they failed to clear the ball properly following a thrust by the Dons. The ball came out to POWELL, who rifled in from 20yards. The Rovers then went forward and Coppinger had a shot deflected for a corner. Past the hour and Coppinger again had a go but the hit against McLoughlin and cleared. At the other end Lowe put high and wide from distance. Although the Rovers were more into the game in the second half they were still behind in the possession game. In the 73rd minute, McLeod had a clear sight of goal from 25yards but stubbed his foot into the ground and the ball went wide of goal. Four minutes later and McLeod was played clean through on goal but Griffin chased him down, McLeod went down in the area but the referee wasn’t interested in McLeod’s claims for a penalty. Then a corner to the home team, won by the persistence of Powell, was played short to Potter, who crossed to the far post where McLeod headed wide. In the 83rd minute, a defensive mistake by the Rovers let the ball go to GLEESON on the edge of the penalty area and he rifled low into the net with his first kick of the game. The Rovers could do nothing to cut the deficit and the referee blew the whistle on a comprehensive win for the MK Dons and denting the Rovers chances of going further clear at the top having now played one more game than the chasing pack.
Result – Milton Keynes Dons 3 (McLeod 40 Powell 56 Gleeson 83) Doncaster Rovers 0
Teams – MK Dons – Ian McLoughlin; Adam Chicksen, Antony Kay, Shaun Williams, Dean Lewington ©; Darren Potter, Daniel Powell, Luke Chadwick; Dean Bowditch, Chris Lines, Ryan Lowe
Subs used – Izale McLeod for Chadwick 35 mins; Mathias Kouo-Doumbe for Bowditch 73 mins; Stephen Gleeson for Lowe 81 mins;
Subs not used – Tom Flanagan, George Baldock, Giorgio Rasulo
ROVERS – Gary Woods; Paul Quinn, Jamie McCombe, Rob Jones ©, Tommy Spurr; David Cotterill, James Harper, John Lundstram, James Husband; James Coppinger; Iain Hume
Subs used – Andy Griffin for Jones 46 mins; Billy Paynter for Hume 56 mins; Kyle Bennett for Husband 62 mins;
Subs not used – Liam Wakefield, Emile Sinclair, Cameron Howieson, Jon Maxted gk
Caution – McCombe 45 mins; Cotterill 86 mins;