MK Dons 2-1 Swindon Town
Dons back in the play-off hunt
For the first time in a long time Dons turned up and played to their potential - and most importantly they did it when it mattered.
A precious three points against one of their rivals gives them their chance to get back in the play-off hunt.
Too often this season when Dons have played one of the top eight they simply haven't turned up, but all that changed on Tuesday when they over-powered Swindon Town with an effective and at times fluent performance.
To help sum up why Dons aren't in the top six, it is important to point out that the win at stadium:mk makes it their first back-to-back victories in League One in five months.
It was also their first success against the Robins in almost four years. Both records going is extremely timely and give Dons a fighting chance of promotion.
A defeat would have all but put Dons out of the race and put Swindon 11 points ahead of them. A victory however has reeled the Robins back in and Dons are just five points behind their sixth place rivals.
Paul Ince's side did ride their luck a few times in the first half - the visitors struck the woodwork three times. Nonetheless it was a deserved win as the home side caused just as many problems up the other end.
The game started perfectly for Dons and helped ease any early nerves.
The dynamic Luke Chadwick, who had a superb match, robbed the ball from Sean Morrison and raced through on goal to fire a shot that David Lucas could only parry as far as Aaron Wilbraham who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net.
There were just 65 seconds on the clock and Swindon - who lost 4-0 to Bristol Rovers three days previous - were already rattled and needing to chase the game.
The goal meant the first half was played at an unrelenting tempo and full of chances.
The next decent one fell to the dangerous Billy Paynter after former Don Jon-Paul McGovern's deflected cross landed perfectly in between David McCracken and James Tunnicliffe.
His volley was measured and perfectly executed as it beat Willy Gueret but not the crossbar.
Town didn't look convincing at the back and after Jermaine Easter volleyed just over from close range, Lucas was forced to make a brilliant save from Mark Carrington after Wilbraham sent him clear in the box - and the free-scoring midfielder should have done better.
The chances were flowing for both sides at this point, with Jonathan Douglas then striking the post from 25 yards after Gueret was again left a spectator.
The Robins' bad luck was compounded seconds later though when Tunnicliffe was left horribly unmarked after he had made a diagonal run across the box to head home Peter Leven's corner - a superb parting gift from the on-loan Brighton man who was playing his last game for Dons.
Further indication that it probably wasn't going to be their day came on the stroke of half time as a combination of Paynter and McCracken somehow deflected Daniel Ward's vicious cross on to the post.
The second half wasn't as enthralling as the first as Dons shored up more at the back. Arsenal loanee Mark Randall started to come into the action more and flashed a shot just wide early on.
The youngster and Chadwick were causing Swindon problems with their energy and movement, while Wilbraham's physical presence was something they never really got to grips with as Dons looked in control.
In an effort to get back into the game boss Danny Wilson sent on Charlie Austin, the prolific 20-year-old recently plucked from the non-league.
But both sides were cancelling each other out at this point.
Dons did start to look more vulnerable down the right as the game went on, Jude Stirling given some problems by Ward after he replaced Danny Woodards.
As the game neared its end Jonathan Douglas poorly fired wide from outside the box when Gueret's goal was left unguarded from his punch.
Then when it looked like a goal wouldn't come for the visitors Ward popped up with one four minutes into stoppage time. The winger drilled a powerful shot past Gueret from just inside the box to set up a tense last few seconds.
But despite their still being time for the Robins to launch one final attack Dons held firm and secured a vital victory - once which hopefully marks the start of a much-needed winning run that will put them firmly back in the play-off shake up as we go into the business end of the season.
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
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Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
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