MK Dons 1-0 Macclesfield Town
Dons through to FA Cup second round
Dons made it through to the FA Cup second round for the first time in three seasons as they professionally saw off boss Paul Ince's old club Macclesfield.
There was no fairytale story for the side that gave the former England captain his first break in football management. Ince reminded fans why he was so popular during his time at the Cheshire club as Dons won the tie with relative ease.
Ince of course saved the League Two club from relegation to the Conference in 2007 and before the game admitted his regret at drawing the cash strapped club.
But sentiment was firmly pushed to one side, even in the magical club competition renowned for creating headlines, as Dons deservedly went through into Sunday's second round draw.
Substitute Lewis Gobern was the hero when he scored his first goal for the club just three minutes after coming on as a replacement for Martin Devaney who was forced off early.
The win sets up a tie with fellow League One side Exeter, who they will be looking to beat to reach the real glitz and glamour of the third round when the big boys come in.
For now Dons can be satisfied with seeing off their lower league opposition, something they failed to do last season when Bradford beat them in the opening round.
The year before that they were beaten by Crewe, so a run in the FA Cup would no doubt be welcome for Dons' fans.
Those at stadium:mk would have seen Ince's men win for the fifth successive time at home, and perhaps the biggest plus of the day was that.
The side are finally turning their home into the 'fortress' both Ince and Dons chairman Pete Winkelman have spoken of in the past.
And while the attendance of 4,868 was less than half the average home gate for a league game, the crowd certainly seemed to respond to Ince's calls to turn up the volume. The home fans didn't stop singing for 90 minutes.
But the Silkmen – led by the energetic John Rooney – started brightly. The 18-year-old younger brother of Wayne tried to make things happen early on. And after Hamza Bencherif warmed the palms of Willy Gueret with his 35 yard effort, Rooney then forced the 'keeper to turn the ball wide with a 25 yard half volley.
In return Aaron Wilbraham showed his deft touch to bring down Devaney's cross, but after holding off Paul Morgan he poked the ball wide from 15 yards.
That was Devaney's only real contribution of the match as he was forced off with a dead leg shortly after that. Gobern replaced him and his impact was immediate.
Stephen Gleeson made a superb overlapping run down the right hand side and chipped in a cross which was cleared as far as Jermaine Easter who fired a rocket of a shot that was well saved by Jose Veiga.
But unfortunately for the grounded keeper the ball landed at the feet of Gobern who coolly dispatched the ball home from 15 yards.
It relaxed Dons and they went on to play the ball around nonchalantly for the rest of the first half.
They then started the second with a little more pace, but for all their possession and time on the ball they still struggled to find their killer touch and put the game to bed.
A Dean Lewington cross almost caught out Veiga who had to back pedal and tip over the bar. And with 12 minutes remaining the Silkmen keeper was forced into a good save after clever work from Dons.
Gleeson played in Wilbraham who dummied, as did Baldock, and Leven powered through on goal but fired a left foot shot that was turned wide of goal.
In a rare moment where Macc actually got into the Dons half, Emile Sinclair saw his dipping volley land on the roof of the net.
But a less than enticing replay never looked on the cards as Dons overcame a tricky looking tie with the sort of professionalism that they are now becoming renowned for.
MK Dons: Gueret, Doumbe, Powell, McCracken, Lewington, Devaney (Gobern 22), Leven, Gleeson, Chadwick (Puncheon 61), Easter (Baldock 76), Wilbraham
Subs: Baldock, Gobern, Woodards, Puncheon, Searle, Ibehre, Howell
Goals: Gobern 25
Macclesfield Town: Veiga, Reid (Brown 88), Morgan, Bell, Draper, Sinclair, Wright (Sappleton 63), Rooney, Brisley, Daniel (Tipton 79), Bencherif
Subs: Brain, Reed, Bolland, Sappleton, Brown, Tipton, Lowe
Attendance: 4,868
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Saturday 04 February 2012
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