Controversy abounds as Dons and Wrexham share fiery draw

MK Dons and Wrexham shared the spoils in a 1-1 after a hugely controversial evening at Stadium MK on Tuesday.

With the game finely poised between two promotion hopefuls, with first-half goals from James McLean and Dan Kemp, Wrexham stopper Arthur Okonkwo spilled Joe Tomlinson's 59th minute effort into the net only for the goal not to be given by referee Sam Purkiss.

Barely a minute later, the official sent off Dean Lewington for his protests at the other end, before Will Boyle was given his marching orders 12 minutes from time.

The result means Dons remain fifth, four points from the automatic promotion spots.

After the 2-1 win over Swindon Town, Mike Williamson restored captain Dean Lewington to the side for the visit of Wrexham to Stadium MK, seeing Kyran Lofthouse drop to the bench, where he was joined by the returning Ellis Harrison who missed the trip to Wiltshire through injury.

With both sides scrapping for the right to go up automatically, it was a messy opening to the game, neither side really able to grasp control in the early stages despite the frantic path of it. Dons were the makers of their own problems though, playing themselves into bother in and around their own penalty area as Wrexham pressed a high line, seeking to capitalise.

Neither though were able to carve much clear cut - a Jack Marriott effort deflecting off Warren O'Hora and into the dive of Michael Kelly was about all there was in it until midway through the first-half when James McLean stooped low to nod Luke Young's corner into the bottom corner. From there, the first-half burst into action.

Dons were not behind for long - just four minutes in fact - as the hosts pieced together their best move of the game, with Joe Tomlinson lifting the ball over the Wrexham back-line for Dan Kemp to lash past keeper Arthur Okonkwo.

The stopper needed to be on his toes a couple of minutes later when Alex Gilbey forced him into a diving save, while Daniel Harvie fired just wide through a crowd of players.

Back and forth such was the game, McLean took aim from 25 yards to have Kelly at full-stretch as he watched the strike zip just wide, but Dons could have gone in ahead at the interval but for another wonderful stop from Okonkwo in stoppage time, tipping Tomlinson's fine effort onto the post.

The game burst into life in the second-half, with controversies at both ends in the space of a couple of minutes threatening to alter the course of the game.

Having made a brilliant stop at the end of the first-half, Okonkwo spilled Tomlinson's strike on 59 minutes and looked as though he let it bobble over the line, with the Dons supporters behind hte goal feeling they were cruelly robbed of a goal.

But as Wrexham countered, and had an effort cleared off the line by Lewis Bate, Dean Lewington was shown a straight red card in his protests to reduce the hosts to ten men for the final half-an-hour.

Looking as though they would be under the cosh for the remainder of the game as Wrexham piled forwards, bringing on Elliot Lee, Ollie Palmer and Paul Mullin. But they would suffer a red card of their own when Will Boyle, who had ridden his luck twice already, tripped substitute Matt Dennis when he was through on goal, to reduce the Welsh side to ten with 12 minutes to go.

Cruelly denied twice by Okonkwo, Tomlinson thought he had won it deep into stoppage time though when he was picked out by Ellis Harrison six yards out only for the keeper to make an instinctive save to keep it out.

Referee: Sam Purkiss

Attendance: 11,282 (1,436)

MK Dons: Kelly, Lewington, O'Hora, Harvie, Norman (Harrison 89), Tomlinson, Bate, Payne (Williams 80), Gilbey, Kemp (Lofthouse 64), Wearne (Dennis 65)

Subs not used: Harness, Robson, Tezgel

Wrexham: Okonkwo, Cleworth, O'Connell, Boyle, Bolton (Barnett 63), Young, Cannon, McClean, Mendy (Lee 63), Dalby (Palmer 71), Marriott (Mullin63)

Subs not used: Howard, Tozer, J Davies

Booked: Boyle, O'Connell, O'Hora

Sent off: Lewington, Boyle