Late Doncaster equaliser spoils Lewington's first MK Dons home game

There is never a dull moment at Stadium MK as two red cards changed the course of the game with MK Dons and Doncaster Rovers sharing a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

In a week where Dons introduced a new CEO, and were forced into the hunt for a new head coach when Mike Williamson departed for Carlisle United, the game against Rovers was bound to be full of drama, and so it played out.

The visitors were reduced to ten men after just ten minutes when Harry Clifton was sent off for a second booking for identical fouls on Ellis Harrison, before the Welsh striker prodded home on 35 minutes to give the hosts the lead.

Harrison though would then get his marching orders seven minutes into the second-half for a nasty foul on Owen Bailey, giving the visitors a way back into the game, which they took when centre-back Tom Anderson’s powerful header found it’s way past keeper Tom McGill with seven minutes to go to share the spoils.

For Lewington's first game in charge, he made three changes to the side which started against AFC Wimbledon. Jack Tucker, MJ Williams and Ellis Harrison all started in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy against Colchester and kept their places in the side as they came in, with Liam Kelly pushed further forward to play alongside Alex Gilbey in behind the striker.

After a rarely spotted change of ends prior to kick-off, dust had barely settled before Doncaster were reduced to ten men. Harry Clifton made the same foul twice in the opening ten minutes on Ellis Harrison, just inside the Rovers half, to earn himself two yellow cards and his marching orders.

Against the ten men, who dropped in to be more compact, Lewington's Dons played at a high tempo, and looked more direct and more intentional as they attacked, more willing to shoot on site rather than pick an intricate pass to walk it home.

Rovers' defence though held firm for the most part, as Harrison was crowded out when balls were aimed in his direction, but there was nothing they could do when Connor Lemonheigh-Evans slid in Aaron Nemane down the right, firing a ball across for the Welsh striker to slide in from close range.

But from hero in the first-half, Harrison would turn villain in the second, as he would see become the second player to earn his marching orders, leaving a high-foot on Owen Bailey to earn an early bath and square things up.

It gave Doncaster, who looked overrun in the first-half, a way back into the game and they sought to take full advantage of the level numbers game. They piled pressure on throughout the second-half, giving the home side precious little time to breathe at times, limiting them to attempts on the counter - Alex Gilbey forcing a save from Ted Sharman-Lowe low at his near post as close as they would come to adding a second.

Defensively, Dons looked to have the visitors relatively well contained, but the ever-dangerous Luke Molyneux and substitute Ephram Yeboah were causing almost constant threats down the flanks in the latter stages before finally getting the equaliser they deserved.

Tom Anderson rose high above MJ Williams to power a header past keeper Tom McGill to draw level and share the spoils with seven minutes to go.

Referee: Simon Mather

Attendance: 7,838 (1,065)

MK Dons: McGill, Tripp, Offord, Maguire, Tomlinson, Nemane (Ilunga 69), Williams, Lemonheigh-Evans (White 79), Gilbey, L Kelly, Harrison

Subs not used: Harness, Wearne, Leigh, Tripp

Doncaster Rovers: Sharman-Lowe, Sterry (Olowu 60), Anderson, Molyneux (P Kelly 89), Gibson (Sharp 60), Clifton, Bailey, Ironside, McGrath, Fleming (Yeboah 60), Close (Sbarra 69)

Subs not used: Lawlor, Broadbent

Booked: Clifton, Nemane, Yeboah, Gilbey

Sent off: Clifton, Harrison