Maghoma nets last minute equaliser to rescue point for MK Dons at Lincoln City

Paris Maghoma scored a last-minute equaliser to secure MK Dons a vital draw away at Lincoln City on Tuesday night.

Trailing from the sixth minute after a brilliant Danny Mandriou strike put the Imps ahead, a dire first-half made way for a more exciting second, but needed Maghoma’s flick in the 90th minute to secure a point for Mark Jackson’s side as they closed the gap to safety to now just a point.

After missing the game on Saturday, Daniel Harvie returned to the side in the place of Henry Lawrence who returned to the bench. Ethan Robson also came back into the starting line-up, returning from injury in place of Dawson Devoy. It was Robson's first start since limping out of the reverse fixture at Stadium MK in January.

With Mark Jackson seeing this game as the start of a mini-league to save Dons' season, he will have been furious with the first-half performance from his side as they made the worst possible start to the game. Teed up by Jack Diamond, Danny Mandroiu picked out the top corner of Jamie Cumming's net after just five minutes to give the Imps the lead, but from there the game descended.

Dons' shoulders noticably dropped, and though they saw a lot of ball, passing between Jack Tucker, Zak Jules and Josh McEachran endlessly as they struggled t oget the ball into the Lincoln half - the home side dropping in to stifle everything.

Not alone in their lack of quality though, Lincoln too were unable to really get a grip of the game, and not a single shot was registered by either side before the half-time whistle.

As bad as the first-half was though, it spawned a second-half which was much more open, and afforded both teams the opportunity to play some more expansive football. Opportunities in front of goal though remained rare.

Harry Boyes probably should have put the game to bed when he was picked out by former Dons loanee Lasse Sorensen but Tucker was on hand to clear off the line.

At the other end, both Jules and Eisa had headers denied by keeper Carl Rushworth, and Sullay Kaikai got on the end of an excellent Dawson Devoy ball, but swiped at it and missed the ball entirely.

Mandriou had a great chance to put the game to rest in the final five minutes, teeing himself up from a similar range to when he scored in the first-half, but his strike thumped the bottom of the post.

Lincoln had not lost at home all season, but of their 15 games at Sincil Bank, 12 had ended in draws and as the clock ticked over into the 90th minute, Paris Maghoma managed to get something on Nathan Holland's corner, looping it up over Rushworth to earn Dons a point.

There was a chance for the visitors to win it too, deep into stoppage time but Bradley Johnson's free-kick bent just past the post.

Referee: Sebastian Stocksbridge

Attendance: 7,056 (186)

Lincoln City: Rushworth, Poole, Boyes, Plange (House 68), Bishop (Sanders 79), Erhahon, O'Connor, Mandriou, Eyoma (Sorensen 50), Roughan, Diamond (Shodipo 80)

Subs not used: Wright, Vernam

MK Dons: Cumming, Jules, Tucker, Harvie, Watson, McEachran (Devoy 58), Maghoma, Robson (Holland 58), Leko, Kaikai (Johnson 90), Eisa (Grigg 68)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Smith, Lawrence

Booked: House, Leko