MK Dons slide to defeat on trip to Salford City

MK Dons slid to defeat as they were beaten 1-0 away at fellow promotion chasers Salford City.

One goal decided a tight game at the Peninsula Stadium, with Matt Butcher grabbing the game’s only goal midway through the second half. The Dons also ended the game a man light, with defender Luke Offord shown a straight red card.

Having lost to Barnet last time out, the result saw MK Dons condemned to back-to-back League 2 defeats for the first time since early September.

Defeat came on an eventful day at the top of League 2, where all of the 3 sides that began the day in the division’s automatic promotion places lost. Leaders Bromley and 3rd place Cambridge both suffered defeats, with a loss at Barnet seeing Cambridge lose their spot in the top three to Notts County.

In a compressed top-end of League 2, MK Dons remain 2nd, 5 points behind leaders Bromley and just 4 ahead of their conquerors Salford, who end the day in 6th.

Played amid strong wind, the first half would be an tight encounter, with neither side creating much in the way of big chances. Salford’s Ollie Turton saw an early effort held by Dons keeper Craig MacGillivray, while Dan Crowley and Curtis Nelson narrowly missed the target with decent opportunities for the visitors.

MK Dons nearly forced the ball home in the opening stage of the second half when they were narrowly unable to force the ball over the line after a scramble in the Salford box.

The game’s opening goal came after 66 minutes. MK Dons failed to deal with a cross from the Salford left, and the ball fell for Daniel Udoh, who teed it back for Butcher to score with a fine strike from the edge of the box.

Paul Warne threw on subs to try and turn the tide back in his side’s favour, including the return of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing for the first time since December.

But MK Dons’ task was made harder when they had a man sent off in the 85th minute. Offord had conceded a free-kick for a foul on Salford’s Fabio Borini when he duly kicked the ball right into Borini’s chest, sparking a melee that saw the Dons man earn a straight red.

The visitors struggled to create after that, with Salford’s Jorge Grant missing a chance to make sure for the hosts but Salford duly did the job to win.

MK Dons will seek to go again and return to winning ways next time out as they welcome Barrow for the first match of the Easter double header.