Honours even as Dons and Argyle cannot be separated at Stadium MK

MK Dons 1-1 Plymouth Argyle
MK Dons shared the  spoils with Plymouth Argyle, drawing 1-1 at Stadium MK MK Dons shared the  spoils with Plymouth Argyle, drawing 1-1 at Stadium MK
MK Dons shared the spoils with Plymouth Argyle, drawing 1-1 at Stadium MK

Tennai Watson’s first career goal was cancelled out by a thumping Conor Grant effort as MK Dons and Plymouth Argyle shared the spoils of a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night.

Watson fired Dons in front midway through the first half just moments after Mo Eisa squandered a similar chance as the hosts went in ahead at the break.

Plymouth took control of the early running in the second half and were level on 66 minutes when Dons failed to clear a Plymouth ball into the mixer, with it falling kindly for Grant to lash home.

Though there was relatively little between the sides throughout, both sides had chances to win it with Troy Parrott coming off the bench and hitting the bar, while Jordan Garrick did similar for Plymouth, hitting the post in stoppage time.

The result keeps Dons seventh ahead of the visit of Oxford United on Saturday, and Plymouth climb back into fifth.

After 10 days between League One games, Liam Manning made just one change to his side from the thumping win over Morecambe and it was enforced by covid protocols as Peter Kioso was replaced by Tennai Watson.

With two places and two points separating the sides prior to kick-off, it was clear there would be very little between the sides and so it proved in the opening 45 minutes. Both sides set their stalls out early on, playing some nice football in and around the midfield but there was very little offered up by either defence in the way of chances.

Scott Twine couldn't get much of a foothold in the game and spent much of the first half bundled to the ground, while Mo Eisa should have put Dons in front after 20 minutes when he was put through on goal but fired straight at Mike Cooper in the Argyle net.

A minute later though, Dons would take the lead through the unlikely source of Tennai Watson. In almost a carbon copy of Eisa's chance, Watson shrugged off Plymouth defender James Wilson to fire the hosts in front.

Matt O'Riley lifted a shot over the bar as Dons sought out a second before the interval, while Harry Darling, who gained a reputation for bursting forwards last season, was back in his pomp doing just that but took a knock shortly before half-time and was replaced at the interval by Aden Baldwin.

The early pecking of the second half was much the same as the first but while Dons probably edged it in the opening 45 minutes, it was the visitors who dictated the play after the break.

Though chances remained few and far between, Plymouth's second half pressure eventually told midway through the second period when Dons failed to clear a ball into the mixer, and it fell kindly to Conor Grant to smash home from just inside the box.

Troy Parrott came on to replace Josh McEachran and began to pull the strings for Dons, hauling them forwards and thumping the bar within minutes of his introductionb, before Eisa slid inches away from Daniel Harvie's tempting cross.

With a draw looking on the cards, substitute Jordan Garrick then tested the frame of Andrew Fisher's goal as the game snuck into stoppage time, with the spoils shared.

Referee: Samuel Barrott

Attendance: 7,566

MK Dons: Fisher, Lewington, O'Hora, Darling (Baldwin 46), Watson, Harvie, McEachran (Parrott 66), Robson, O'Riley, Twine, Eisa

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Jules, Brown, Boateng, Ilunga

Plymouth Argyle: Cooper, Gillesphey, Houghton, WIlson, Scarr, Broom (Mayor 62), Edwards, Hardie (Ennis 88), Grant, Camara, Jephcott (Garrick 71)

Subs not used: Burton, Agard, Law, Cooper

Booked: Houghton, Wilson