MK DONS 2 AFC WIMBLEDON 3
MK DONS lost their first ever game to AFC Wimbledon as an Adebayo Akinfenwa inspired comeback saw the visitors progress in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
It was the second time this season and the third time overall that the two sides had met, and Dons fans could hardly have hoped for a better start when Daniel Powell pounced on a mistake in the AFC defence with just two minutes on the clock. The winger, who has impressed for Dons this season, took advantage of a loose backpass, rounded keeper James Shea, and slotted the ball into the back of the empty net to make it 1-0.
Benik Afobe almost made the most of some slack defending a couple of minutes later when he latched onto a ball in the box which the visitors should have cleared better, but Barry Fuller got in a last-ditch sliding tackle to block the danger.
Afobe was almost in again when a through-ball was played for him, but his touch was a tad too strong, and the keeper easily gathered the ball up with eight minutes gone.
The home side had been on top for the opening quarter of the game, and Dons seemed happy to spread the ball around the park while they had a one-goal lead to defend.
Adebayo Azeez came very close to levelling proceedings after 22 minutes when he was inches away from connecting with a George Francomb free kick.
Dons had a penalty claim after 25 minutes when a Powell cross looked to have hit an AFC hand, but the referee waved away the claims, and Dons were pegged back on 26 minutes when the visitors levelled.
Jack Smith did some great work on the left to get past his man and put a dangerous cross into the box, and Azeez bundled the ball into the back of an empty net to make it 1-1, and put AFC back in the game.
On the half-hour, Tom Beere shot just over the bar after a cross looped over to him, and the goal had spurred some life into the League Two side.
Afobe then went up the other end and shot wide as Dons looked to take advantage of another sloppy backpass, and the game had taken on a bit of bite thanks to the second goal.
Francomb then took out Afobe in the 35th minute which earned him a yellow card, and Jake Nicholson followed him into the book for tugging Samir Carruthers back.
After that dirty spell in the game from the visitors, Dons restored their control four minutes from time when they re-took the lead.
It was another poor passback from AFC which saw Afobe latch onto the ball, and Shea came out of his goal very well to make the save on the Arsenal loanee. Powell jumped onto the rebound, and looked to have been brought down in the box, but the ball fell kindly to Afobe, and he gratefully swept the ball into the back of the net to put Dons 2-1 up.
Francomb had a great opportunity to equalise immediately after when he ghosted onto a far post cross, but he could only shoot wide.
There was even time for Dean Bowditch to have a shot on target when Shea's clearance went straight to him after Tom Hitchcock beat the offside trap, but Andy Frampton cleared off the line, and Dons took a 2-1 lead into half time.
AFC started the brighter of the two teams after the interval, and Azeez came close straight after the interval, while Lewington wasn't far from connecting with a Bowditch corner on the hour mark.
AFC brought on the big guns on the hour mark to get back in the game, with Adebayo Akinfenwa and Matt Tubbs introduced.
Dons made a change of their own as well when former Coventry City skipper Carl Baker was given the final half-hour of the game to prove to Robinson what he could do.
But it was the AFC substitutions that proved an instant success when AFC made it 2-2 after 68 minutes. Akinfenwa won the header in the middle of the park, and fellow sub Sean Rigg smashed the ball goalbounds which proved too hot to handle for David Martin, who could only parry into his own goal.
Akinfenwa then produced a diving header when he was free in the box which only just went over as AFC tried to turn the screw on Dons.
The goal ensured that it would be an exciting final 20 minutes of the tie, and Martin came up with a wondrous save in the 75th minute to claw the ball away from the top corner after Rigg got a great header away.
With 15 minutes left, Baker's shot bobbled to Afobe in the box, and the Arsenal man's shot into the ground nearly bounced over Shea and went in, but the AFC keeper scrambled the ball away to keep it at 2-2.
The game was end to end now, with Akinfenwa coming close, before Afobe shot wide from 20 yards.
Disaster struck with 10 minutes left though, as AFC took the lead to the delight of their fans. Rigg got to the byline and crossed for Akinfenwa, who tapped home from one yard out to put the visitors in front.
Now it was Dons who needed to get back in it, and Bowditch shot wide with seven minutes left, before Baker got a shot off that Shea saved.
Smith was put through by the influential Akinfenwa in the 85th minute to finish the game off, but he could only shoot at Martin.
Dons had pushed Kyle McFadzean up front, which left a space at the back when three minutes from time Matt Tubbs couldn't make the most of a counter-attack.
McFadzean could only swipe at thin air when he had a chance in the box two minutes from time after good work by Afobe to get to the byline and cross it in.
By this point you sensed that perhaps it would be AFC's evening, and so it was as they held on for victory.
MK Dons
Line-up: David Martin, Mark Randall, Jordan Spence, Kyle McFadzean, Dean Lewington (c), Samir Carruthers (Carl Baker 66), Darren Potter, Daniel Powell, Tom Hitchcock, Dean Bowditch, Benik Afobe
Subs not used: Ian McLoughlin, Giorgio Rasulo, Ben Tilney, Harry Hickford
Yellow cards: Carruthers, Randall, Powell
AFC Wimbledon
Line-up: James Shea, Barry Fuller, Jack Smith, Dannie Bulman, Andy Frampton (c), George Francomb, Sammy Moore (Matt Tubbs 64), Adebayo Azeez (Adebayo Akinfenwa 64), Jake Nicholson (Sean Rigg 64), Tom Beere, Adam Barrett
Subs not used: Joe McDonnell, Callum Kennedy
Yellow cards: Bulman, Francomb, Nicholson
Attendance: 4,407 (214 away fans)
Referee: Tim Robinson
Assistant referees: Nigel Lugg, Andrew Newbold
Fourth official: Robert Hyde
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