Crowley calls the shots for County as MK Dons lose third game in a row

MK Dons lost on Boxing Day for the first time since 2018 as they were outplayed in the 2-0 defeat to Notts County at Stadium MK.

After a relatively balanced first-half, Dons’ summer transfer target Dan Crowley took control of the game by setting up George Abbott to open the scoring on 57 minutes before Crowley himself netted a second with 19 minutes to go to resign Dons to a third consecutive defeat.

The result sees Dons drop to 11th in the League Two table, with a quick turnaround before facing Crewe Alexandra in three days time.

After the humbling defeat at the hands of Newport County on Saturday, Scott Lindsey made three key changes to his side for the visit of Notts County on Boxing Day. Alterations came on both flanks, with Aaron Nemane and Joe Pritchard replaced by returning Joe Tomlinson and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, making his first appearance since early November. Stephen Wearne was also dropped, replaced by Tom Carroll, promoting Liam Kelly up the field to play in behind Scott Hogan. Of the three changes, only Nemane was amongst the substitutes.

With both sides known for their possession-based styles, it was the visitors who started the brighter and did what Dons have done to so many teams in the opening 15 minutes - make them chase. Dan Crowley, a summer transfer target for the side from MK1, was the key orchestrator for County as he pulled the strings, making space out wide for the likes of Nick Tsaroulla and Sam Austin to get crosses into the box, but there was not a lot to really trouble keeper Tom McGill.

Dons began to get a foothold in the game, with a couple of efforts for Alex Gilbey just missing the mark, while Liam Kelly too had a sight of goal but put it past Alex Bass' upright.

McGill needed to be alert when a harshly-awarded free-kick saw Tsaroulla whip a ball under the bar, with the Canadian keeper tipping it onto his post, but it was as close as either side would come before the break as they fairly cancelled each other out.

But while the first-half was a measured affair, Notts County grabbed the game by the horns in the second left Dons to lick their wounds. Crowley was influential in George Abbott scoring the opener on 57 minutes, carving space for the teenager to fire past McGill, via a deflection.

Crowley then would pick his spot 14 minutes, after three great Dons chances were denied by keeper Alex Bass, to double County's advantage, rifling past McGill from the edge of the box.

Alassana Jatta had two great chances to put the game further out of reach, while Gilbey too would force Bass into another good stop, but County in the end would cruise to victory.

Referee: Scott Tallis

Attendance: 9,249 (1,684)

MK Dons: McGill, Offord, Maguire (Sherring 62), Lawrence, Tomlinson (Harrison 72), Lemonheigh-Evans (Nemane 58), Kelly, White, Gilbey, Carroll (Thompson-Sommers 72), Hogan

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Lewington, Hendry

Notts County: Bass, Bedeau, Platt, Crowley (Hinchy 85), Austin, McGoldrick, Palmer, Tsaroulla, Macari (Ness 73), Jatta (Brown 90), Abbott

Subs not used: Slocombe, Gordon, M Cisse, Martin

Booked: Kelly, White, Austin, Palmer, Bass