Honours even at Highbury Stadium between Dons and Fleetwood

MK Dons and Fleetwood Town shared the spoils in awful conditions at the Highbury Stadium after a 1-1 draw.

Harry Darling added to his goal on Saturday with another great header, converting Scott Twine’s 12th minute free kick to give Dons the lead.

The pitch resembled a bog more than a footballing surface at times, but a mistake from Matt Smith, making his debut after making his move from Manchester City on deadline day, allowed Ellis Harrison to break and Paddy Lane to fire past Jamie Cumming five minutes into the second half.

Twine and Parrott both had chances to fire Dons back in front, but a point was a fair reflection of the conditions, but was also one which sees Dons draw level with Wigan Athletic in second spot in League One.

After claiming their third win in a row on Saturday, beating Lincoln City, Liam Manning made three changes to his side and introduced two players signed on transfer deadline day. Matt Smith and Kaine Kesler Hayden were handed their first starts for the club, having been unused substitutes at Stadium MK at the weekend, replacing Josh McEachran and Tennai Watson. Mo Eisa also came into the side for Theo Corbeanu.

The horrible conditions at the Highbury Stadium threatened to put the game in doubt as vast puddles settled on the surface, and in particular in the Fleetwood penalty area in the first half. Not that those puddles had any impact in Dons taking the lead after 12 minutes. Scott Twine's free-kick from the right-side of the penalty area picked out Harry Darling for a simple header past keeper Alex Cairns, who was left stranded by the defender's second goal in as many games.

It was an attritional battle between the sides to see who could make the best of the conditions, and it certainly looked like Dons in the first half. Fleetwood barely offered up a threat as the visitors looked to exploit the space out wide.

Making his debut, Kesler Hayden looked a livewire as he used his pace to take on Fleetwood skipper Danny Andrew, and showed glimpses of what he could do albeit in tough conditions. He almost doubled Dons lead in audacious style too on the stroke of half-time, spotting Cairns slight out of his goal before taking aim from 30 yards, but it went just wide.

With their control of the first half though, it would be a disappointing start to the second as Fleetwood capitalised on a mistake from Smith on half-way, who gifted possession to Ellis Harrison who in turn fed Paddy Lane to fire past Jamie Cumming five minutes after the restart.

Chances remained at a premium though, but it a rejuvenated Fleetwood side who looked more of a threat in the second period than they did in the first and really made a game of it.

Troy Parrott tested keeper Cairns with a rare effort on goal after Twine put him in around the back, while Twine then got the ball stuck under his feet after doing well to round Cairns.

In the end, a point was probably a fair result given the conditions, and it was a point which sees them draw level with Wigan above them following their 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

Referee: Chris Sarginson

Fleetwood Town: Cairns, Andrew, Clarke, Butterworth (Pilkington 73), Harrison, Morris (Macadam 46), Batty, Johnson, Biggins, Lane, Nsiala

Subs not used: O'Hara, Baggley, Boyle, Johnston, Hayes

MK Dons: Cumming, Lewington, O'Hora, Darling, Kesler Hayden (Watson 72), Harvie, Smith, Coventry, Twine, Parrott, Eisa (Wickham 72)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Watson, Corbeanu McEachran, Kemp, Boateng, Wickham

Booked: Biggins, Butterworth, Watson, Pilkington, Lewington