Dons make their chances count as they hit four past Crewe Alexandra

Dons were by no means at their best but made their chances count as they were 4-1 winners over Crewe Alexandra at the Mornflakes Stadium.

Mo Eisa’s first half goal, coming after 11 minutes, was the difference at the break but the scrappy game sparked into life in the second period. Chris Long bobbled one over the line not long after the restart and it looked like the bottom side were the more likely to go on and score again but it was Matt O’Riley who capitalised and fired Dons back in front on 64 minutes. Eisa then won and missed a spot kick three minutes later, and Crewe, roared on by a vocal home support, looked to have the advantage.

But Dons would be deadly when their chances came along, and Peter Kioso’s deflected effort made it 3-1 with eight minutes to go to zap what energy the home team head. Max Watters added a fourth in stoppage time to put the game beyond reach of Crewe as Dons claimed the win.

MK Dons made two changes to the side which lost to Rotherham at Stadium MK a week earlier. Daniel Harvie returned to the side in place of Zak Jules, and Josh McEachran made his first league start of the campaign as he came into the team ahead of Hiram Boateng. Troy Parrott was unavailable for personal reasons but will return next week.

The first half was certainly a game of two clear-cut changes coming after 10 minutes. First, Rio Adebisi was left unmarked at the far post but saw his header thump the upright for the home side as he wheeled off in premature celebration, but Dons went straight up the other end to take the lead. Matt O’Riley combined with Peter Kioso on the right, with the latter skidding a ball into the six-yard box for Mo Eisa to convert for his fourth goal of the season.

Far from taking control of the game from there,it was in fact Crewe who looked the more threatening thereafter. Playing at a frantic pace, it unsettled Dons’ midfield of David Kasumu and Josh McEachran, both being caught in possession several times, as the hosts tried to get back on level terms. Chances though were hard to come by as the scrappy affair led to mistake after mistake from both sides.

Slow starts to second halves have been a problem for Dons this season, and they were caught out again in pretty tame fashion as Crewe got level seven minutes after the restart. J’Neil Bennett, who was having a lot of joy down the Crewe left, once more found space to cross and sent it deep to Chris Long – who spent a spell on loan at Stadium MK in 2014 – to bobble it over the line.

Though sat bottom of the table, Crewe were really intent on picking up only their second win of the season as they pressed on, but it would be Dons who retook the lead on 64 mintues as Matt O’Riley was first on the scene to rattle home Kioso’s half-cleared cross from the penalty spot.

That spot would see more action three minutes later when Will Jaaskelainen downed Eisa in the box, but a poor penalty from the Dons striker allowed the Crewe keeper to make amends.

The atmosphere was really lit with the penalty as the home side felt aggrieved by some of the decision making from referee Mr Haines, but Kioso, who was involved in all of Dons’ goals on the day, would put the game to bed with eight minutes to go. Peeling off at the far post, Kioso was in acres of space on the corner of the six-yard box and fired low towards the bottom corner, taking a deflection off Donervon Daniels en route into the net for Dons’ third.

Just to rub salt in the wounds for the home fans, Max Watters fired in a fourth deep into stoppage time to send the travelling Dons supporters in the Ice Cream Van stand home beaming.

Referee: Andy Haines

Attendance: 4,501

Crewe Alexandra: Jaaskelainen, Adebisi, Offord, Long, Lowery (Gomes 80), Mandron (Porter 78), McFadzean, Murphy (Wright 70), Daniels, Robertson, Bennett

Subs not used: Richards, Finney, Sass-Davies, Kasket

MK Dons: Fisher, O’Hora, Darling, Lewington, Kioso, Harvie (Jules 87), McEachran (Boateng 70), Kasumu, O’Riley, Twine, Eisa (Watters 75)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Watson, Baldwin, Martin

Booked: Twine, Bennett