Goal-less draw with Burton sees MK Dons relegated to League Two

MK Dons have been relegated to League Two after a goal-less draw with Burton Albion.

Knowing a win would be needed to stay up, with Cambridge United taking on bottom club Forest Green Rovers, Dons had plenty of chances to do the business but came up short.

Sullay Kaikai, Jonathan Leko, Paris Maghoma and Mo Eisa all came desperately close to finding the back of the net in a game Dons had the better of, but they came up against a brilliant defensive performance for the Brewers, led by captain John Brayford who made some huge blocks to keep it goal-less.

Dawson Devoy and Will Grigg both also saw late efforts cleared off the line as the writing appeared on the wall.

With the season hanging in the balance, Mark Jackson named an unchanged side to the one which played against Barnsley last week, with Sullay Kaikai setting up at right wing-back.

Knowing what they needed prior to kick-off - a win - Dons started brightly and looked like they wanted to play on the front foot and go after an early goal.

They had chances - Conor Grant and Jonathan Leko both firing just wide of the post - but could not open the scoring as nervous eyes began to glance at the other games in the division.

With Cambridge taking the lead against bottom club Forest Green, Dons' mission remained the same, and though John Brayford and Mark Helm both had efforts, they fired straight at Jamie Cumming and offered up precious little threat.

The best chance of the half fell the way of Dons on 29 minutes when Sullay Kaikai cut in from the right-flank, fired an effort on goal and as it aimed for the top corner, but it was tipped around the post by keeper Craig MacGillivray.

The second-half played out much in the same way as the first, but the tension in the Dons camp grew and grew as they desperately sought the goal to keep them in the division.

Eisa, Leko and Kaikai all had openings denied by MacGillivray, while there was some last-ditch do-or-die defending from Zak Ashworth and John Brayford kept the score at 0-0.

As things got desperate entering the closing stages, Dawson Devoy saw an effort blocked off the line, Warren O'Hora bent one around the post, Tucker headed over too.

Into stoppage time with Dons desperately seeking the goal to keep them up, substitute Will Grigg found himself two yards out but he couldn't poke it over the line as Dons went down.

Referee: Seb Stockbridge

Attendance: 5,021

Burton Albion: MacGillivray, Brayford, Oshilaja, Highes, Powell, Taylor (Walker 52), Moon, Helm, Carayol (Winnall 80), Hamer (Kirk 63), Ashworth

Subs not used: Amissah, Gilligan, Hewlett, Radcliffe

MK Dons: Cumming, Lewington, Tucker, O’Hora, Watson, Kaikai (Grigg 79), McEachran (Devoy 58), Maghoma, Grant (Holland 63), Leko, Eisa

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Johnson, Dean, Jules

Booked: McEachran, Oshilaja