Leko at his enigmatic best for Dons in draw with Wycombe Wanderers

Just a handful of minutes had passed between Jonathan Leko tripping over the ball while dribbling, and lashing the ball into the back of the net after a brilliant bit of skill to secure a point for MK Dons against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, almost perfectly summing up the enigma of the man.

Joining in January from Birmingham City, Leko has helped change the complexion of Dons’ style under Mark Jackson. A forward-thinking winger, eager to take men on, dribbling past them, around them and sometimes through them, the 23-year-old is fearless to a fault.

Confident and brave on the ball, Leko has no issue with making mistakes - if they happen, they happen. When what he tries works, it’s excellent, but it is equally frustrating as it is brilliant when it goes awry.

And Dons fans saw almost all sides of it in the 2-2 draw with Wycombe on Saturday. Having squandered an early opportunity to whip a cross into the box in the opening minutes of the game, Leko popped up again on the wide right in the ninth minute, this time around picking out Daniel Harvie to score.

Later in the first-half, Leko did brilliantly to cut inside from the right flank, tried to lose his man with step-over after step-over, but didn’t take the ball with him. Wycombe cleared, won a free-kick and equalised from it.

Into the second-half, he stood on the ball and went tumbling as he tried to dribble through on goal, before then brilliantly dancing through to net a vital equaliser - his second goal in as many games.

“These things happen sometimes,” said Mark Jackson of his enigmatic winger. “He's a creative player, and he's a dangerous player. I love that about him.

“He's a great talent, a great lad, works hard and it's a pleasure having him!”

Harvie, who benefitted from Leko’s generosity in the first-half admitted he has been in the winger’s ear about taking more shots on goal, adding: “I've been screaming at him to shoot more.

“He loves dribbling, loves getting one on one, but sometimes you have to pull the trigger and it paid off.”