Late Tomlinson strike fires Dons into FA Cup second round with win over Colchester

A late Joe Tomlinson strike fired MK Dons into the second round of the FA Cup on Saturday as MK Dons twice came from behind to beat Colchester United to win 3-2.

Micah Mbick fired the hosts ahead after a defensive mix-up from Connal Trueman and Jon Mellish before Rushian Hepburn-Murphy bagged the first of two goals just before half-time

A Jack Sanders error then allowed Harry Anderson to make it 2-1, before Hepburn-Murphy again drew Dons level just before the hour mark.

Tomlinson came off the bench to rattle Dons into the second round with three minutes to go as extra time loomed, the first time the club has beaten EFL opposition since 2018.

Following his head injury and subsequent overnight hospital stay in the defeat to Bromley last week, Craig MacGillivray missed out as one of two changes to Paul Warne’s side for the Cup. Replaced by Connal Trueman between the sticks, the only other change came in midfield with skipper Alex Gilbey out with a knock, replaced by Dan Crowley.

While the captain watched on from the stands, he saw his former club have the upper hand in a scrappy opening half-an-hour which brought about precious few chances.

Lacking a physical presence in the middle of the park, Dons struggled to get traction through the middle but enjoyed some width from Jon Mellish.

But when the on-loan Wigan man lost the flight of a hopeful ball aimed towards Micah Mbick, the Colchester man looked up, still with a lot to do from 35-yards out, to loft the ball over an out-of-position Connal Trueman to give the hosts the lead after 26 minutes.

The lead would last 11 minutes though, with the equaliser coming in equally hopeful fashion. A ball for Rushian Hepburn-Murphy to chase saw the Dons forward left to his own devices, lofting the ball over on-rushing keeper Matt Macey to draw the sides level.

Colchester though would restore their lead barely two minutes into the second-half when Jack Sanders was caught on the ball on the edge of the box, allowing the difficult Harry Anderson to cut back and forth before roofing it to make it 2-1.

Dons though kept to their game and looked the better side on the ball as they began to force the issue and seek another equaliser. Once again, it came 11 minutes later and once again, it wasHepburn-Murphy with it. This time it was a low driven effort past Macey after good work from Collar and Mendez-Laing.

The visitors looked the more likely to find themselves in the second round draw, coming close through Collar and Luke Offord.

But with extra time looming, substitute Joe Tomlinson rattled home through a crowd after Mendez-Laing’s cross was only half-cleared by the home side to send Paul Warne’s side through.

Referee: Abigail Byrne

Attendance: 3,639 (265)

Colchester United: Macey, Iandolo, Tucker, Anderson (Edwards 88), Bishop, Lisbie, Read, Williams (Tovide 71), Araujo, Vincent-Young, Mbick

Subs not used: Smith, Hunt, Flanagan, Gordon, Goodwin, Edwards, Powell, Oni

MK Dons: Trueman, Offord, Sanders, Ekpiteta, Mellish (Tomlinson 71), Nemane, Crowley (Thompson-Sommers 88), Kelly, Collar, Mendez-Laing (c), Hepburn-Murphy

Subs not used: Finch, Leko, Sommers, Lewis-Burgess, Troso, Medwynter

Booked: Mellish, Ekpiteta, Read, Offord, Thompson-Sommers