Dismal FA Cup exit for ten-man MK Dons as AFC Wimbledon progress

Ten-man MK Dons flopped out of the FA Cup at the first round stage, losing 2-0 to bitter rivals AFC Wimbledon on Sunday.

Goals either side of half-time from Matt Stevens and Omar Bugiel gave the visitors a comfortable advantage, before Connor Lemonheigh-Evans’ red card with 20 minutes to go effectively ended the hosts’ chances of an unlikely comeback.

Lindsey made three changes to the side for the visit of their rivals to Stadium MK - recalling Craig MacGillivray in goal, handing skipper Dean Lewington only his fourth start of the season, with Kane Thompson-Sommers starting for the club for the first time.

The fiery nature of the games between the sides was evident from the atmosphere inside Stadium MK, but the action on the pitch, certainly for the first half-an-hour, flattered to deceive. Neither side were able to really get control of the game, and in midfield in particular, it was a scrappy and tetchy affair.

Keepers Owen Goodman and Craig MacGillivray were rarely tested though, both given fairly routine efforts to cope with - MacGillivray denying Alistair Smith's long-range effort the best of them.

But the game seemed to burst into life when Alex Gilbey turned on the afterburners to tear through on goal, but the recovering Joe Lewis' last-ditch challenge denied the midfielder a clean strike on goal.

As the sides looked set for the break though, a booming ball forwards by Omar Bugiel bounced over the Dons defence to pick out Matt Stevens who fired across MacGillivray from the corner of the six-yard box to put the visitors in front at the break.

But it would only get worse for the home side in the second-half as AFC Wimbledon would go on to book their spot in the second round with ease.

After James Tilley's free-kick caused havoc in the penalty area five minutes after the break, Bugiel would get the final touch to bundle it over the line to double the visitors' lead.

Nothing would stick for the home side. Loose balls would fall the way of the visitors, who continued to poke and probe for a third. Neufville would persist to be the thorn in the side for Dons, and when he flicked the ball past Lemonheigh-Evans again with 20 minutes to go, it meant marching orders for the man in white, reducing the hosts to 10 men.

Keeper MacGillivray would keep the score civil when he made a brilliant double-save from Bugiel again from inside six yards, but at the other end, Dons would barely cause a ripple.

Callum Hendry made his return to the side after six weeks out, and did his best to try and stretch the visiting defence in the latter stages, but it would be as thin a silver lining the hosts could take.

Referee: Matt Corlett

Attendance: 10,419 (1,855)

MK Dons: MacGillivray, Lewington (c), Sherring, Offord, Tomlinson (Harrison 58), Nemane, Thompson-Sommers (Williams 84), Lemonheigh-Evans, Gilbey, Leigh (Wearne 58), Hogan (Hendry 84)

Subs not used: Harness, Pritchard, Tucker, Ilunga, White

AFC Wimbledon: Goodman, Johnson (c), Tilley, Maycock, Bugiel (Pigott 87), Neufville, Smith, Stevens (Kelly 87), Ball (Harbottle 54), Hippolyte, Lewis

Subs not used: Ward, Biler, Furlong, O'Toole, M Williams, Ogundere

Booked: Neufville, Hogan, Lemonheigh-Evans, Thompson-Sommers, Hippolyte, Stevens, Lewis, Harrison, Gilbey

Sent off: Lemonheigh-Evans