MK Dons hold on to take points against promotion rivals Bromley

MK Dons would hold on to take the points in a clash of League Two’s top two as they beat Bromley 2-1 despite ending the game with 10 players.

Bromley arrived in Milton Keynes knowing a win would confirm their promotion to League One, but the Dons would enter half-time 2-0 up after early goals by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Ben Wiles.

Jon Mellish was sent off for the Dons moments before Marcus Ifill scored a goal back for the Ravens, but the Dons did just enough to prevent Bromley from finding an equaliser and in the process confirmed their victory.

The result means that MK Dons remain second in the table and they reduce Bromley’s lead at the top of League Two to 4 points, with Paul Warne’s side picking up a first win in five outings.

After a frustrating run that saw the Dons fail to win any of their previous four, Warne’s side faced a big test in the form of the leaders Bromley. The Ravens arrived knowing that, thanks to Swindon losing on Friday, victory at Stadium MK would see the side from South London confirm their first ever promotion to the third tier of English football.

But seemingly buoyed by the high stakes occasion, MK Dons would open the scoring with less than 40 seconds on the clock. A miscontrol of the ball by former Northampton man Mitch Pinnock saw the ball bounce for Mendez-Laing. On his first start since December, the Guatemalan international escaped two Bromley defenders, charged into the penalty area and threaded a low strike past Bromley keeper Grant Smith.

That gave the Dons the early advantage and a fast start nearly saw that lead doubled. The Dons broke at pace from a Bromley corner, and Liam Kelly set through Wiles. The former Huddersfield man was soon one-on-one with Smith, but his low shot hit the post.

The hosts still looked likelier to grab the second goal, with Smith denying Callum Paterson and Gethin Jones having a shot blocked.

With 16 minutes played, MK Dons had a second. The ball was worked out to Gethin Jones, and the Dons’ right wing-back’s cross was perfectly placed for Wiles to tap home from close range.

In a stop-start first half where both sides had players go down with injuries, MK Dons still looked likelier to make it 3-0. Paterson would see a sharp shot kept out by Smith, while Mellish and Mendez-Laing had strikes blocked.

Unhappy with he had seen before the break, Bromley boss Andy Woodman made 4 half-time substitutions, which seemed to allow the visitors more room to attack after the break. A sighter would come the way of Pinnock, but his shot from range was straight at Dons keeper Craig MacGillivray.

Further chances would come the visitors’ way, with Ashley Charles seeing a free-kick just go over the top before substitute Ben Thompson headed wide from a cross.

A big turning point would then come with just under 25 minutes of the 90 to play. Zech Medley’s cross lead to a collision between Bromley skipper Omar Sowunmi and Dons defender Jack Sanders, but Mellish’s reaction lead to a huge squabble in the box with players of both sides getting involved.

When things calmed down, Mellish and Sowunmi were both booked for their part in the kerfuffle. But with Mellish having only just been booked for giving away a free-kick, that meant the Dons’ left wing-back was given a second booking and with it dismissal from the field of play.

A spicy atmosphere would then see Woodman get booked for disputing further decisions, but the Bromley boss would soon be cheering as his side cut the Dons’ advantage. A corner was cleared out only as far as Ifill, who hit a sweet strike that flew past MacGillivray into the top corner.

The same trick nearly brought Bromley level, but this time a defensive block saw Charles’ strike fail to reach the target, before the hosts were relieved to see MacGillivray claim after two Bromley players failed to get clean hits to send a loose ball goalwards.

Ben Thompson would miss the target when found in a great position with an effort that just swerved off target, before there came a moment of controversy, as the referee ruled no penalty for a challenge by Joe Tomlinson on Ben Krauhaus, much to the away side’s anger.

Still the visitors put MK Dons under pressure and they nearly had a breakthrough in the final minutes of the 90, as a well placed strike by Jude Arthurs had to be tipped wide by MacGillivray.

That was ultimately the last chance Bromley were able to create, however, as despite 6 minutes of added time and lots of the ball, they were unable to break MK Dons down as the home side took a huge win in the fight for promotion to League One.

MK Dons: MacGillivray – Sanders, Ekpiteta, Nelson – Jones (Tomlinson 83), Wiles, Kelly (Lemonheigh-Evans 70), Gilbey, Mellish – Paterson, Mendez-Laing (Collins 64)

Subs not used: Trueman, Crowley, Nemane, Hepburn-Murphy

Booked: Nelson, Mellish

Sent Off: Mellish (68)

Bromley: Smith – Ifill, Sowumni, Cameron, Odutayo (Medley 45) – Charles (Evans 90) – Whitely (Thompson 45), Ajayi (Krauhaus 45), Hondermarck (Arthurs 45), Pinnock – Kabamba

Subs not used: Long, Ilunga

Goal: Ifill (74)

Booked: Sowunmi, Medley