Curtis strikes in stoppage time as MK Dons lose derby

MK Dons were dealt a dagger blow deep into stoppage time when Ronan Curtis fired in a late winner for AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane on Saturday.

In a tight and tense game, Stephen Wearne missed a great chance late on for the visitors, but substitute Curtis picked out the bottom corner in the 94th minute to win it for the home side.

Mike Williamson named an unchanged side to face AFC Wimbledon with Stephen Wearne leading the line ahead of Dan Kemp and Alex Gilbey.

With a tension in the air, and certainly in the stands at Plough Lane, the action in the first-half did not live up to the hype. Neither side were really able to settle into any sort of stride, and with chances few and far between, it was a bitty and disjointed affair.

After seeing two AFC Wimbledon players sent off in the reverse fixture, Dons keeper Michael Kelly was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch when he caught striker Omar Bugiel on the edge of the penalty area as they chased a ball over the top, but referee Charles Breakspear only showed a yellow.

Bugiel would take aim midway through the opening half but would strike the top of the stand housing the MK Dons supporters, though James Tilley's 33rd minute strike needed to be tipped around the post by Kelly.

At the other end, Dons struggled to give Alex Bass much to work for until the final kick of the half when Alex Gilbey took aim, but despite putting together a couple of good moves in the opening period, nothing seemed to stick for the visitors.

The second-half would follow a similar pattern, with neither side really settling into a pattern - other than getting yellow cards dished out freely by the referee for both sides.

A few half-chances aside, there was not much between the sides. Dan Kemp forced a save, while Bugiel headed onto the roof of the net at the other end.

In the final 15 minutes, both sides threw a bit more caution to the wind, with substitute Ellis Harrison forcing a good save from Alex Bass, though Stephen Wearne should have converted from a tight angle.

In stoppage time though, Dons would be dealt the hammer blow. After Armani Little's header had hit the bar minutes earlier, a cross to the far post found substitute Ronan Curtis to fire in the winner at the very death.

Refreee: Charles Breakspear

Attendance: 8,182

AFC Wimbledon: Bass, Brown, Reeves, Balmer (Ogundere 78), Tilley (Curtis 79), J Kelly, Neufville, Little, Bugiel, O'Toole, Currie

Subs not used: Tzanev, Pell, Davison, Gordon

MK Dons: M Kelly, Norman, O'Hora, Harvie, Tomlinson, Lofthouse (Harrison 65), Bate, Payne, Kemp (Tezgel 79), Gilbey, Wearne

Subs not used: Harness, Williams, Robson, Dennis, Tripp

Booked: M Kelly, Little, Wearne, J Kelly, Harvie, Lofthouse, Gilbey, Reeves, Norman, Curtis