Dons up to third in League One with win over Lincoln City

MK Dons moved up to third place in League One with a 2-1 win over Lincoln City on Saturday.

A far from convincing opening period though saw Dons fall behind to John Marquis’ close-range effort after eight minutes. Warren O’Hora almost repeated his own goal scored in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day when he headed onto Dons’ crossbar two minutes later as the visitors threatened to race clear.

As unconvincing as Dons were in the first half though, Harry Darling started and finished the move which saw Dons draw level six minutes before the break, heading home after Theo Corbeanu’s shot was parried high by keeper Josh Griffiths.

Warren O’Hora then repeated the feat two minutes into the second half, starting and finishing a move with the help of the excellent Troy Parrott who put in a brilliant shift at the front of the line for his side.

Lincoln threatened to get back into it and came close when Anthony Scully hit the bar from the edge of the six yard box but Dons claimed their fifth win in six to move third in the table.

Despite bringing in three new faces on transfer deadline day, Liam Manning named an unchanged side to face Lincoln City. Matt Smith, Dan Kemp and Kaine Kesler Hayden were all amongst the substitutes though.

In the reverse fixture on Boxing Day, Dons were trailing 2-0 after eight minutes and the reverse fixture did not offer much of a better scenario when John Marquis was on hand to poke home in front of Harry Darling at the near post, getting on the end of Anthony Scully's cross.

Warren O'Hora, who scored an own goal in the game at Sincil Bank then almost did the same again two minutes later when he headed against his own crossbar, but his blushes were spared as Dons were able to hoist it clear.

By no means at their best despite their decent recent run, Dons were their own worst enemies at times, loose in possession and looking pedestrian on the ball as Lincoln looked to take the game on.

Chances were few and far between for the hosts, with Josh McEachran coming the closest after a fine move found him on the edge of the box but he bent his effort just wide.

While Harry Darling and his defensive partners were looking uneasy at one end, the defender sparked and finished off the move which drew the home side level six minutes before the break. Bursting forward in his own style, Darling hovered around the penalty as Conor Coventry spun the ball wide to Theo Corbeanu to get a shot in. Keeper Josh Griffiths could only pop the ball up into the air and Darling was on hand to bundle the ball over the line to draw Dons level.

If the first goal-scorer came from an unlikely source, the second was arguably even more unlikely in the form of Warren O’Hora just two minutes after the break. In similar fashion to Darling, O’Hora started and finished the move which saw Dons take the lead, winning the ball on half-way, taking it forwards and offloading to Parrott, who cut inside his defender to return the ball to his fellow Irishman to turn past Griffiths.

Dons looked solid and disciplined thereafter, keeping Lincoln locked up and enclosed for much of the second period, offering up precious little opportunity.

Scully though would continue to be a problem for Dons and he came closest to drawing level when he fired against the bar with 12 minutes to go but despite a lot of huff and puff, did not give a lot for Cumming to deal with.

The win, along with Sunderland’s shock defeat to Doncaster at the Stadium of Light, sees Dons climb to third in the table ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Fleetwood Town.

Referee: Brett Huxtable

MK Dons: Cumming, Lewington, O'Hora, Darling, Harvie, Watson, McEachran, Coventry, Corbeanu (Eisa 71), Twine (Kemp 88), Parrott

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Smith, Boateng, Wickham, Kesler Hayden

Wycombe Wanderers: Griffiths, Poole, Whittaker, Cullen (Maguire 68), Scully, Bishop (Norton-Cuffy 60), Bramall, McGrandles (Sanders 78), Fiorini, Eyoma, Marquis

Subs not used: Wright, Melbourne, Sorensen, Robson

Booked: Coventry, Harvie