MK Dons come from two goals down to take draw at Tranmere

MK Dons picked up a point as they came from 2 goals and a man down to draw away at Tranmere Rovers.

Two goals by Charlie Whitaker had given the home side a 2-0 lead at half-time. But an eventful 4 minute sequence saw Jon Mellish grab a goal back for the Dons, Jonathan Leko get sent off and Kane Thompson-Sommers grab an equaliser.

A draw on the Wirral sees MK Dons slip a place to 4th, although they remain at the top end of a tight League 2 table where the top half is separated by just 6 points.

The Dons had been forced into a reshuffle for the trip to Prenton Park, with Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing both out with injuries sustained the previous week and Callum Paterson missing through suspension.

While adjusting to their changes, MK Dons fell behind within the opening 10 minutes. Marvin Ekpiteta’s pass out was intercepted, and Jayden Joseph fed Whitaker to slot past Craig MacGillivray.

Just before the half-hour mark, the Dons would concede a second. Aaron McGowan’s long pass down the Tranmere right played in Whitaker, who controlled and then lofted a neat finish into the back of the net.

The Dons had improved after this, but would take time to create chances that troubled home keeper Joe Murphy.

This trend continued in the second half, even after the Dons welcomed back Aaron Collins and Gethin Jones as subs after periods with injury.

With 12 minutes left on the clock, the Dons would claw it back to 2-1. Liam Kelly’s corner was only partially cleared and substitute Mellish duly thrashed a strike through the crowd and into the goal.

On the restart, however, it looked as though the Dons’ hopes had taken a major hit when they were reduced to 10 men. The referee deemed Leko’s collision with home defender Nathan Smith as primarily on the Dons attacker, earning Leko a second booking and with it dismissal from the field of play.

Undeterred, the Dons would duly grab an equaliser through 2 goals in 4 minutes. Jones and Dan Crowley combined to feed Thompson-Sommers, and the substitute duly found the bottom corner. It was the second away match in a row where the Dons had come from 2-0 down to 2-2, having done so in their last League Two away day at Barnet.

The Dons even came close to a late winner, with Murphy denying Jones and Alex Gilbey firing over on the rebound.

Having taken a point, the Dons now prepare for three home games in a row, starting with next weekend’s match against Fleetwood Town.