Dons round out the year with draw against Crewe

MK Dons ended their run of three consecutive defeats to round out 2024 with a 1-1 draw against Crewe Alexandra.

Joe White's fourth goal of the season fired Dons into the lead after 10 minutes in a tight-knit half at Stadium MK, but a lethargic opening to the second allowed Crewe to get back into it through Jamie Knight-Lebel 11 minutes after the restart - his first career goal.

The result sees Dons end 2024 with 51 played, 21 wins, eight draws and 22 defeats, leaving them 11th at the turn of the year.

After suffering their third defeat in a row on Boxing Day against Notts County, Scott Lindsey made three changes to his side. Laurence Maguire limped out against the Magpies, leaving Dons short in defensive numbers, forced to recall Charlie Waller from his loan spell at Sutton United. Sam Sherring stepped into the starting line-up, while Aaron Nemane came in for Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, and Tom Carroll was ousted for Kane Thompson-Sommers.

Needing a good start to get over the disappointment of the last three, it took just ten minutes for Dons to open the scoring, courtesy of Joe White's fourth goal of the season. Picking the ball up 25-yards out, the Newcastle loanee took aim, rifling low past former Dons stopper Filip Marschall to score.

With neither side in particularly good form heading into the game, the remainder of the half played out very evenly. Neither side really had much in front of goal. The midfield matched up well, but chances were at a real premium as Dons and Crewe cancelled each other out.

The only real opportunity of note came nine minutes before the interval when Zac Williams barged forwards down the right, firing into the mixer towards Omar Bogle, who spun on his heels to fire goalwards, but Tom McGill was a match for it.

The half-time interval though would change the momentum of the game. Dons, knowing Crewe would come out seeking an equaliser, mad hard work of the opening 20 minutes and were made to pay for it. A deep corner to the far post caused issues for the Dons defence, and defender Jamie Knight-Lebel was on hand to prod the ball over the line.

And it was deserved too, as Dons descended into a sloppy, lapse and stuttering team as they struggled to restart after the break.

They came to life only when Tom McGill made a key stop to deny Shilow Tracey midway through the second-half, with attacking changes giving the hosts a little more bite going forwards.

Lifted too by the home crowd, who felt referee Greg Rollason was against them in key moments, half-chances came the way of Nemane, substitute Ellis Harrison and Callum Hendry but Marschall was never really troubled by anything in the Crewe net.

Though both sides will fancy they could have won it, a share of the spoils was about fair.

Referee: Greg Rollason

Attendance: 7,508 (621)

MK Dons: McGill, Offord, Lawrence, Sherring, Nemane, Tomlinson (Harrison 73), White (Hendry 63), Thompson-Sommers, Kelly (Carroll 85), Gilbey, Hogan

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Williams, Lemonheigh-Evans, Waller

Crewe Alexandra: Marschall, Cooney, Knight-Lebel, Williams, Demetriou, Sanders (Finney 89), Bogle, Tracey (Lunt 89), Tabiner, Holicek (Long 78), Conway (Powell 89)

Subs not used: Booth, Connolly, The Billington

Booked: Sherring, Conway, Nemane, Hogan, Knight-Lebel