MK Dons lose out on trip to Notts County

MK Dons were beaten 3-2 by Notts County after conceding a late goal in an eventful game at Meadow Lane.

The visitors had taken the lead twice through goals by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, but the Dons conceded equalisers to strikes by Matt Dennis and Alassana Jatta.

Tom Iorpenda then struck an 88th minute winner for the Magpies, in a goal that won the game for the hosts and proved enough for Notts County to leapfrog MK Dons in the table. Defeat by the banks of the Trent sees MK Dons fall a few places to 5th, albeit only 2 points off the automatic promotion spots.

Paul Warne opted to reshuffle his side from the weekend’s FA Cup win over Oldham, making 5 changes – albeit with one enforced after Jack Sanders was handed a 3 game ban announced just before the game – but his side made a quickfire start as they took the lead after 3 minutes.

Mendez-Laing, who had returned to the starting line-up, was played through by Callum Paterson, and the winger was able to advance, cut inside and fire into the top corner.

But Notts County would equalise within 5 minutes. Former Dons striker Dennis collected Jacob Bedeau’s pass, created space for a shot and then lashed a strike into the back of the net.

A quick start would see the Dons score again another 5 minutes later, however. From a corner, the referee deemed that ex-Don Conor Grant fouled Laurence Maguire, and from the spot, Mendez-Laing drilled the penalty beyond home keeper Kelle Roos for his second of the night.

Roos pawed away a shot from outside the box by Alex Gilbey, and that save would also prove useful for the hosts when Notts County equalised again.

Maguire had attempted to send a header back towards Craig MacGillivray, but his underpowered backward header fell for Jatta, who duly charged forward before beating the keeper in the one-on-one.

Notts County then could’ve completed the comeback moments later when Iorpenda hit the crossbar from six yards after being picked out in a cross into the box.

While the first half proved to be a frantic contest, the second would be a more close-thought affair. The Dons came close with Gilbey denied from a tight angle by Roos before Mendez-Laing saw a strike just bounce wide.

Roos would then also deny Will Collar, while at the other end, MacGillivray made a save late in the game to keep out Kellan Gordon.

But from the corner given after MacGillivray’s save, Notts County forced in the game’s eventual winner. MacGillivray couldn’t hold onto the corner, Dennis saw a strike blocked on the line by Marvin Ekpiteta and Iorpenda lashed the rebound home to put Notts County ahead in the 88th minute.

The visitors tried to rally a steal a point, including an appearance for former County man Dan Crowley, but despite the game reaching 11 minutes of stoppage time, the Dons ran out of time for the equaliser and they duly lost the game.

MK Dons face another big game on Saturday, when they play host to a Cambridge United side that are currently one place below them in the League 2 table.