Jekyll and Hyde from MK Dons as they draw with Oxford United

It was a real game of two halves at Stadium MK on Saturday as Dons held on to claim a point against Oxford United, despite taking a first-half lead.

Ahead through Sullay Kaikai’s 25th minute opener, Dons were as good in the first-half as they were bad in the second - but Oxford could claim the same in reverse. Mo Eisa and Jonathan Leko should have put the game to bed long before the break as Dons looked in total control against Karl Robinson’s side, but the roles were reversed after the break.

A renewed Oxford were first to everything in the second-half and deservedly drew level through a wonderful Lewis Bate strike with 20 minutes to go , with chances to win it after that.

Dons were able to cling on for a point though, dropping them to 20th.

Injury to Anthony Stewart meant Mark Jackson's hands were effectively tied with his team against Oxford. But their performance against Bristol Rovers last week meant naming an unchanged side was not the end of the world as Dons took on their former boss.

And the team picked up where they left off at the Memorial Stadium with a comfortably one-sided opening half, which saw them deservedly in front at the break.

Jonathan Leko enjoyed plenty of joy down the right-hand side, pinning left-back Brandon Fleming countless times, and seeing him into the book early on. But Leko twice squandered good opportunities to score his first goal for the club - firing over from close range before giving keeper Simon Eastwood an easy one to gather.

The deadlock would be broken on 25 minutes though from the winger on the opposite flank. Some clever interchange between Dawson Devoy and Mo Eisa picked out Sullay Kaikai on the left, allowing the winger to cut inside onto his right foot, bending it past Eastwood's dive.

And it was exactly what Dons deserved too, but they should have been further ahead by the half-time whistle. Eisa had two good sights of goal, one blocked and one coming at him by surprise when Tennai Watson burst into the area and pulled it back to him, while Leko made the decision to go it alone rather than pull back to Paris Maghoma waiting on the edge of the box.

Oxford, who barely threatened in the opening 45 minutes, were booed off the park at the whistle but looked a more dangerous proposition early in the second. Despite an early Eisa chance, Oxford put the home side under pressure for much of the second-period but were unable to really create anything clear-cut to really test Cumming.

Paris Maghoma had to walk the tight-rope for the final 25 minutes when, already booked, he received his final warning from referee Andrew Kitchen, and looked as though he was going to be taken off by Jackson, only for his midfield playing partner McEachran to go down injured as Bradley Johnson waited on the sidelines.

With Oxford first to every ball in the second-half though, their equaliser with 20 minutes to go came as little surprise, other than the fashion of it. Picking the ball up on the right corner of the box, Lewis Bate shimmied inside past Johnson before unleashing a fierce strike into the top corner to level things up.

It felt like there would only be one winner thereafter, and with Oxford's tails up, they had a number of great chances to take the lead, largely through Yanic Wildschut. The substitute was left unmarked at the far-post but skidded an effort wide just moments after coming on, before brushing aside both Jack Tucker and Henry Lawrence - a replacement for Watson - only to fire over the top.

Kyle Joseph should have won it for Oxford with four minutes to go when he was put through one-on-one with Cumming after countering on a Dons corner, but after rounding the keeper, he dropped the ball onto the roof of the net.

From the dominance of the first-half, Dons were somewhat fortunate to walk away with a point, dropping back to 20th spot in the table.

Referee: Andrew Kitchen

Attendance: 9,116 (2,112)

MK Dons: Cumming, Watson (Lawrence 75), Harvie, Tucker, Jules, McEachran (Johnson 66), Maghoma (Grant 81), Devoy, Leko (Dean 66), Kaikai, Eisa (Grigg 81)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Burns

Oxford United: Eastwood, Anderson, Long, Brown, Fleming, Bate, Brannagan, Murphy (McGuane 46), Joseph (Baldock 88), Konate (Wildschut 61), Smith (Goodrham 61)

Subs not used: McGinty, Findlay, Henry

Booked: Fleming, Maghoma, Brannagan