Dons out of the relegation zone as Eisa bags a brace to see off Forest Green

A Mo Eisa brace lifted MK Dons out of the League One relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Forest Green Rovers.

Despite falling behind to a Myles Peart-Harris goal on 29 minutes, Eisa scored either side of the break to climb to 19th in League One, out of the bottom four for the first time since October while piling more misery on the bottom club.

Jonathan Leko was handed his first start in an MK Dons shirt as one of four changes to the side - three of them enforced through injury. Zak Jules, Bradley Johnson and Will Grigg also came into the side for sidelined trio Warren O'Hora, Ethan Robson and Nathan Holland, while Louie Barry dropped to the bench.

With both sides mired in the relegation zone, the quality on show was never going to be high and the first-half lived up to expectations in that sense. Neither side really looked in control with the sticky, bobbling surface contributing to the problems.

Leko, making his debut, was perhaps guilty of trying to do too much on his own as he looked to make an immediate impression on his new supporters, but struggled to deliver the good when it mattered, drawing the ire early on from Mo Eisa who made promising runs down the flank which went unnoticed.

The scrappy affair delivered little in the way of chances and did not deserve a goal in the first-half, but it would end with two in typically messy fashion.

The first game on 28 minutes and fell in favour of the hosts. Jack Tucker looked to have done enough when his tackle on Amadou Bakayoko looked to be bobbling towards Jamie Cumming, but the keeper spilled it and Myles Peart-Harris was on hand to prod Rovers into the lead.

Dons though would be level two minutes before the break. Having irked Eisa earlier in the half, Leko then found himself in acres of space on the right, sending a deep cross towards the striker who snuck in at the far post to fire in from a tight angle to equalise for the visitors, and send the sides in level at the break.

And given that boost, Dons took the lead six minutes after the change with Eisa once again doing the business. Slid in by Josh McEachran, Eisa showed his composure to roll the ball under Doohan.

Going behind lit a fire under Rovers, but they did little to cause Cumming issues. While the visitors played much of the remainder of the game on the back foot, the defensive unit commanded the box with Jack Tucker and Zak Jules unmoved as the hosts threw the ball forward.

But aside from a Bakayoko header onto the roof of the net, Dons held firm through the nine added minutes to claim the double over Rovers and lift themselves out of the relegation zone.

Referee: Anthony Backhouse

Attendance: 2,919 (527)

Forest Green Rovers: Doohan, O'Keeffe, Casey, Cooper, Robson, McGeough (Hendry 59), Stevenson, Peart-Harris (Stevens 82), Garrick (Godwin-Malife 59), McAllister (March 59), Bakayoko

Subs not used: Thomas, Bernard, Cargill

MK Dons: Cumming, Jules, Tucker, Harvie, Watson, McEachran (Smith 62), Johnson, Devoy, Leko (Grant 63), Eisa (Dean 88), Grigg (Lawrence 71)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Barry, Burns

Booked: Bakayoko, Johnson, McEachran, Cumming, Grant