League One: MK Dons 0-0 Leicester City

MK Dons drew for a third game in a row in an entertaining 0-0 draw with Leicester City on Saturday.

The return of former boss Russell Martin was quickly usurped as the leading headline by a thrilling goal-less draw, with both sides threatening though it would be his Foxes who came closest to snatching the points.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid squandered a one-on-one chance early in the first-half, while Jayden Joseph clipped the bar in the second-half as Dons’ staunch defensive performance earned them another point on their return to League One.

For a third league game in a row, MK Dons named an unchanged side for the visit of Leicester City. Midweek signing Will Dennis was named on the bench as Craig MacGillivray kept his spot between the posts, while Wrexham loanee Ryan Barnett was also made to wait for his full debut.

There was another boost for Paul Warne amongst his substitutes with Alex Gilbey and Sam Silvera fit enough for the bench.

Both sides have been tipped heavily to challenge for promotion but had difficult starts to the season. With more than 16,000 inside Stadium MK though, both sets of supporters were expectant of a first win of the season.

It was a tense opening half, one with few chances but the best of those came inside the opening ten minutes when Bobby De Cordova-Reid was put clean through on goal but somehow fired wide of Craig MacGillivray’s goal.

While chances were at a premium, the game in terms of a spectacle was a good one, with both looking keen to get on the front foot and putting pressure on, but defences ultimately came out on top by-and-large.

The tensions continued to rise through the second-half as Leicester threatened to turn the screw, coming close through the lively Sammy Braybrooke, forcing a couple of good saves from MacGillivray.

At the other end, Dons created little of note with their focus largely on their defensive duties.

And they had to be on their mettle, with Jayden Joseph clipping the crossbar late on, while Sam Nombe’s header over the bar would be as close as Dons would come.

Referee: Thomas Parsons

Attendance: 16,198 (5,968)

MK Dons: MacGillivray, Nelson, Ekpiteta, Goode (Sanders 81), Bramall, Jones (Barnett 56), Barlaser (Silvera 81), Wintle, Wiles (Gilbey 71), Collins (Paterson 56), Nombe

Subs not used: Dennis, Crowley

Leicester City: Stolarczyk, Joseph, Thomas, McFarlane, Page, Burns (Howell 60), Chaplin (Bristric 36), Braybrooke, Watson (Alves 82), De Cordova-Reid (Cullen 82)

Subs not used: McCarthy, Aluko, Kangasniemi, Alves, Cullen

Booked: Thomas, Soutter, Cullen