Dons bounce back with win over Wigan Athletic

MK Dons bounced back to winning ways in fine fashion as they beat high-flying Wigan Athletic 2-1 at the DW Stadium on Tuesday night.

Falling behind to Charlie Wyke’s 21st minute goal from relatively nothing, Dons responded brilliantly and were level within nine minutes when Peter Kioso headed home Daniel Harvie’s cross before, seven minutes later, the Scot again turned provider with the ball being turned home by Wigan defender Jack Whatmough.

Rather than chase a third, Dons absorbed Wigan’s pressure throughout the second half but limited the hosts to nothing more than half-chances as the visitors took a big win over a team expected to challenge at the sharp end this season.

After back-to-back defeats to teams in the drop zone, Liam Manning made one change to his side with Troy Parrott coming out of the side for Hiram Boateng. Zak Jules also returned to the bench after a minor injury ruled him out of the squad at Shrewsbury, replacing Charlie Brown.

With both sides hoping to be at the sharp end of the promotion battle this season, an end-to-end battle opened up in the first 20 minutes, though it was Dons who carved the better of the early chances as both Mo Eisa and Hiram Boateng found the target but could not beat Ben Amos in the Wigan net.

Charlie Wyke has been a thorn in Dons' side plenty of times down the years and was looking a lively prospect for Harry Darling to deal with, and when he was afforded half-a-yard in front of the Dons defender, he took full advantage as he prodded Wigan in front on 21 minutes.

It was a goal from nothing really, with Wigan offering up little of threat to Andrew Fisher, but Dons' reaction to going behind was brilliant and saw them not only draw level but lead before half time. Their equaliser came when Daniel Harvie's chipped cross found Peter Kioso on six yards to head past Amos on the half-hour mark.

Seven minutes later, David Kasumu won the ball in the centre of the park and while Wigan stopped to protest, Harvie again found space on the left and with Eisa pointing to where he wanted it, the ball was deflected in via Latics skipper Tendayi Darikwa.

Having controlled the first half, Dons appeared to take a step back in the second, content to allow Wigan to put them under pressure in the second period. Despite having the lionshare of the ball though, Fisher barely had a thing to do. Much of Wigan's pressure came in the form of harmless crosses and corners which really amounted to nothing.

Warren O'Hora was in brilliant form as he won everything coming in his direction, while Harry Darling had the better of Wyke for the majority of the second period, but it was a great collective defensive display from Manning's side.

Wigan's best opportunity came at the very death, four minutes into time added on when substitute Stephen Humphrys shot landed on the roof of the net as Dons claimed an important win.

Referee: Darren Drysdale

Wigan Athletic: Amos, Watts, Naylor, Whatmough, Power, Wyke, Keane, Lang (Massey 73), Bayliss (Humphrys 80), McClean (Jones 73), Darikwa

Subs not used: Jones, Pearce, Edwards, Tilt

MK Dons: Fisher, Lewington, O’Hora, Darling, Harvie, Kioso, O’Riley, Kasumu (Parrott 86), Boateng, Twine, Eisa (Watters 75)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Watson, Jules, Baldwin, McEachran

Booked: Bayliss, Harvie, Kasumu