Dons come from behind to draw with Portsmouth in pre-season

Tommy Leigh netted a fine second-half equaliser as MK Dons and Portsmouth shared a 1-1 draw in the first pre-season game back at Stadium MK.

Former Dons award winner Josh Murphy netted a fortuitous opener after just two minutes for the visitors when his deflected effort left keeper Will Norris with no chance as the Championship side took control.

But Dons edged their way back into the game in the latter stages of the first-half before providing more of a match for Pompey, drawing level when Leigh found space in the box to fire in on 63 minutes.

Dons looked the more likely to go on and win it with chances for Alex Gilbey and Matt Dennis, but a late Callum Lang effort was brilliantly saved by Dons keeper Tom McGill to ensure the draw.

It was a strong team Mike Williamson named for the first home game of the pre-season campaign, and one which featured seven of the ten new signings in the starting 11. While Connor Lemonheigh-Evans is injured, the other summer additions were named on the subs bench, along with a lot of the team which started three days prior against Wealdstone.

The two-divisions difference was clear to see for much of the opening half at Stadium MK, and it was a familiar face who opened the scoring after just two minutes. Josh Murphy was voted Players' Player of the Year during Dons' only season in the Championship in 2015/16, and after moving to Fratton Park in the summer, struck early courtesy of a wicked deflection from the edge of the box to beat Tom McGill.

Pompey looked every bit the side who cruised to the League One title at times as they cut through the new-look Dons, with Murphy in particular looking a regular threat for the visitors, testing McGill's resolve with several tempting crosses.

There was not much for Dons to enthuse about in the opening half-an-hour, but as the game edged towards the break, they began to find their feet a little more. Conor Grant looked industrious in the centre of the park and forced keeper Will Norris into an important stop to his left, while Tommy Leigh also bent an effort wide of the mark.

Callum Tripp, popping up on the right-flank, was also a thorn in the side for Portsmouth and he got in behind three times after good offloads from Callum Hendry, but the final ball was lacking.

Two half-time substitutions made a big impact on the game though for the home side, as Matt Dennis and Jack Tucker replaced MJ Williams and Callum Hendry as Dons continued to worm their way back into the game.

Dennis proved a constant problem for the Pompey defence as he looked to add to his off-season tally, and it was his presence which made space for Tommy Leigh to rifle in a deserved 63rd minute equaliser.

Six changes came in the immediate aftermath of the goal, with Williamson introducing more of his his likely regulars to the fray. Alex Gilbey, one of those changes, would force keeper Norris into a good save, as would Dennis as Dons looked to find a second on the night.

There were some swift and quick passing moves which lifted the crowd too in the latter stages, with Liam Kelly showing more of what Dons fans saw during their play-off campaign against him as a Crawley player last season, while Stephen Wearne forced another stop from the Portsmouth keeper as time ticked down.

McGill had a relatively quiet second-half compared to his counterpart at the other end, but he was called into action to deny substitute Callum Lang at the death, doing well to close the angle and deny the striker what would have been the winner.

Attendance: 2,317 (647)

MK Dons: McGill, Sherring (Lewington 63), Offord (Pritchard 63), Maguire (Kelly 63), Tripp, Tomlinson (c) (Wearne 63), Carroll (Lewis-Burgess 83), Williams (Tucker 46), Grant (Harrison 63), Leigh (Gilbey 63), Hendry (Dennis 46)

Subs not used: Harness, Silver, Singh-Hurditt, Stirland

Booked: Carroll