MK Dons pick up point after draw with Cambridge United

MK Dons had to settle for a draw after a 1-1 stalemate with Cambridge United at Stadium MK.

Callum Paterson had put the Dons in front late in the first half, but a fine strike by ex-Don Sullay Kaikai brought the visitors back on level terms just after the hour.

A point helps the Dons to a run of one defeat in their past six. They sit in 5th place in League Two, with Paul Warne’s side sat 4 points off Swindon Town in third place. The match did produce concerns for the Dons, however, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Laurence Maguire both taken off in the first half with injuries.

Having conceded late on to lose away at Notts County in midweek, MK Dons were seeking home comforts against Cambridge.

The visitors arrived in decent form themselves, with an run of staying unbeaten in their previous 5 League Two games seeing them climb to being in the position directly behind the Dons at kick-off, albeit smarting after conceding an injury time equaliser at home to Chesterfield.

The opening phase turned out to be a scrappy one, with neither side really able to get fluency in the early stages of the first half.

It was MK Dons who nearly took the lead, however. Cambridge keeper Jake Eastwood charged out of the goal to make a clearance, but the ball was intercepted. The Dons worked it to Alex Gilbey, who had a looping and deflected shot just gathered by Eastwood before it could cross the line.

Cambridge nearly made the most of their reprieve a few moments later. From a Dons corner, the visitors broke at pace and the ball was worked for Ben Knight, who had a shot denied by Craig MacGillivray after the Dons keeper raced out of his box.

MacGillivray then had a more uncomfortable moment, as he dropped Adam Mayor’s cross. The loose ball fell for Cambridge’s Kelland Watts, who saw one shot blocked on the line before he prodded the rebound wide.

The Dons then suffered twin blows as the first half progressed, as both Mendez-Laing and Maguire would be substituted before the half-hour mark with potential hamstring injuries.

Liam Bennett missed the target with a strike for Cambridge, before Kaikai missed the target with an overhead kick.

But after getting through that, the Dons would make it 1-0 in the final minutes of the first half. Liam Kelly intercepted the ball in the middle of the park then released Paterson, who duly ran forward and finished with a strike into the back of the net.

Cambridge nearly equalised in the final stages of the half, but Bennett missed the target from close range after being picked out by Kaikai’s cross.

MK Dons nearly scored a second goal in a similar manner to the first. Aaron Nemane released Paterson, who made a similar run with the ball to his opener. When through on goal this time, however, the Dons striker saw his shot kept out by Eastwood.

The Dons had issues building up momentum, but they did come close when sub Aaron Collins fired straight at the keeper Eastwood.

But Cambridge were showing some confidence, and they equalised with 24 minutes remaining. James Gibbons stole the ball off newly arrived Dons sub Dan Crowley and placed the ball to Kaikai. The Cambridge man duly ran inside and played a fine strike that flew beyond MacGillivray’s grasp to equalise for the visitors, much to the delight of a packed away section.

MK Dons nearly restored their advantage nearly immediately, as sub Will Collar touched the ball back to Jon Mellish, who saw a strike beat Eastwood but just bobble wide.

The visitors had looked more likely to do something but when they reached the box, they proved to be having difficulties in creating opportunities to trouble the Dons’ goal.

In the final stages, the best chance fell the way of the Dons. Mellish teed up Collins, who fired a snapshot into the side-netting.

But the game would duly end level, with the Dons forced to settle for a point as they prepare for the busy Christmas period, including a tricky-looking home pair against Swindon and Notts County sides currently sat in the automatic promotion spaces.

MK Dons: MacGillivray – Offord, Ekpiteta, Maguire (Nemane 28) – Jones, Thompson-Sommers (Crowley 64), Kelly (Collar 64), Gilbey, Mellish – Paterson, Mendez-Laing (Collins 21)

Subs not used: Trueman, Leko, Tripp

Goal: Paterson (42)

Booked: Maguire, Thompson-Sommers

Cambridge: Eastwood – Bennett (Kachunga 64), Jobe, Watts, Purrington – Smith (Mpanzu 45+4), Hoddle – Kaikai (Rossi 81), Knight (Brophy 64), Mayor – Appere

Subs not used: Hughes, McConnell

Goal: Kaikai (66)

Booked: Knight