Dons stutter and Oxford capitalise to claim victory

Dons could not make it back-to-back victories on Tuesday night as they were beaten by bottom club Oxford United 3-2 at the Kassam Stadium.

Falling behind after just five minutes to a Matty Taylor goal, Cameron Jerome made it two goals in as many games when he tapped home six minutes later. Smothering Dons in midfield in the second period, Oxford retook the lead when Sam Long headed past an indecisive Lee Nicholls, before Olamide Shodipo's excellent effort made it 3-1 two minutes from time. Ben Gladwin netted a consolation two minutes into stoppage time as Dons dropped back into the relegation zone.

After their first win of the season last time out, Russell Martin made two changes to his side for the trip to Oxford as a matter of resting Richard Keogh and Louis Thompson, replacing them with Baily Cargill and Jordan Houghton.

Conceding early goals have been a problem for Dons all season long, and after avoiding the issue against Gillingham on Saturday, it took just five minutes for Oxford to break the deadlock when Matty Taylor swept home after five minutes, capitalising on Baily Cargill's missed clearance.

But the lead would last just six minutes when Cameron Jerome netted his second in as many games, rattling home Daniel Harvie's cross.

While Karl Robinson's side are known for their footballing style, Dons certainly had the better of the exchanges in the opening half hour and were perhaps unlucky not to convert that pressure into another goal. Jerome had a couple of headers wide, Carlton Morris too was inches away from putting in and Regan Poole too had a fierce effort blocked.

Oxford came back into the game in the run up to half-time, and created a couple of decent sights of goal, twice denied by Lee Nicholls.

Mark Sykes man-marking Jordan Houghton almost paid dividends for Oxford just before the break when he nicked the ball from the Dons man with Nicholls well out of position, but Houghton grabbed the Oxford man's boot with his hand to bring him down and prevent him firing into the empty net from 30 yards, earning him a booking.

Keeper Lee Nicholls has often been the man tasked with playing gutsy football and twice he was let off with some needlessly dangerous football. The blame was at his door though when Oxford retook the lead eight minutes into the second period. Half coming for a free kick into the mixer, Nicholls left his goal open for Sam Long to head into the net to put the U's 2-1 up.

It probably should have been game over for Dons two minutes later when Marcus McGuane burst in behind the line but somehow failed to find the target.

With Oxford in front, it began to degrade into a messy affair. Daniel Harvie and Sean Clare had a coming together which had the Oxford bench up in arms, while some theatrics broke up play too as referee Kevin Johnson lost control of the game for a period.

As Dons pressed for an equaliser, they survived another scare when substitute Dan Agyei somehow squandered an open goal as George Williams was on hand to deny them, but barely a minute later, fellow substitute Olamide Shodipo did make it 3-1 with a wonderful bending effort.

But that was not all she wrote as Ben Gladwin fired Dons back into contention two minutes into four added on but it was too little too late.

Referee: Kevin Johnson

Oxford United: Eastwood, Clare, Ruffels, Moore, Gorrin, Taylor (Shodipo 85), Sykes, Forde (Agyei 77), Henry, McGuane, Atkinson (Long 53)

Subs not used: Stevens, Hall, Cooper, Kelly

MK Dons: Nicholls, Williams, Lewington, Cargill, Poole, Harvie (Gladwin 82), Kasumu (Thompson 67), Houghton, Fraser, Morris, Jerome (Mason 67)

Subs not used: L Walker, Keogh, S Walker, Sorinola

Booked: Kasumu, Houghton, Henry, Lewington, Taylor