Orsi strikes as Dons grab much-needed win over Morecambe

Danilo Orsi's second-half strike earned MK Dons a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over relegation scrappers Morecambe at Stadium MK - the first under Ben Gladwin's watch.

A much-changed initially appeared to have the visitors in control in the first-half, but Lee Angol won and then scored a penalty for the visitors to give them an unlikely lead. It would only last five minutes though before Luke Offord headed Dons level, with Orsi netting the winner on 65 minutes.

It was Dons' first win in seven matches, and though it keeps them 18th in League Two, they move 13 points away from the drop zone and lift a huge weight off their shoulders.

Getting his teeth into the squad following the defeat to Accrington Stanley in the week, Ben Gladwin put his stamp on the side by making five changes to the side to face Morecambe. Laurence Maguire was back in the side for the first time since Boxing Day, recovering from a hamstring injury which had kept him out since. Also back in were Joe Tomlinson, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, Joe White and Danilo Orsi, meaning Charlie Waller, Travis Patterson, Jay Williams, Liam Kelly and Scott Hogan named on the bench.

The new look Dons looked a better proposition than they had four days prior in Lancashire, even ending their 'shots on target' shortage within the opening three minutes when Alex Gilbey forced Harry Burgoyne into a good early save.

The game had a back-and-forth nature for most of the opening 45 minutes, but it was certainly the hosts who looked the more capable of forcing an opening. All of Morecambe's issues came as a result of Dons own doing, with Connor Lemonheigh-Evans let off the hook when his loose pass found Tom White, only for the Morecambe man to be denied by Connal Trueman.

Twice defender Max Taylor had to make key blocks to deny Gilbey another sniff of goal, while Danilo Orsi came into the game with a decent effort from a tight angle, but saw it ripple the wrong side of the net.

But disaster would appear to strike nine minutes before half-time. Since coming into the team, keeper Trueman had faced a penalty in every other game, and this time it was him who gave the spot kick away when he downed striker Lee Angol. Dusting himself down, Angol sent the keeper the wrong way to open the scoring for the reelgation strugglers.

Dons needed a rapid response and they got it within five minutes when Luke Offord headed Joe White's free-kick into the top corner to draw level before the break.

A renewed Dons would emerge for the second-half, and would begin to assert themselves on the Morecambe goal. As they played a high line and kept Morecambe very much on the back foot, they got their reward midway through.

Gilbey exchanges neat passes with White to unleash a left-footed strike, and Burgoyne's save popped up nicely for Orsi to hook home his second goal since joining on loan from Burton, giving Dons the lead.

But to highlight Dons' situation, Morecambe almost equalised seven minutes later, but a vital interception from Laurence Maguire denied Ged Garner a routine tap-in at the back post.

The final minutes saw Morecambe throw everything they had at Dons, though in truth Trueman has precious little to really deal with - only a Jordan Slew header over the bar in stoppage time giving him anything to be overly concerned about as Dons held on for the win.

Referee: Martin Woods

Attendance: 5,718 (115)

MK Dons: Trueman, Maguire ((Waller 78), Lawrence, Offord, Nemane, Tomlinson, J White (O'Reilly 77), Lemonheigh-Evans (Williams 70), Crowley (Kelly 83), Gilbey, Orsi (Hogan 83)

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Patterson

Morecambe: Burgoyne, Lewis, T White, Taylor (Slew 71), Stott, Edwards (R Williams 71), Angol (Tollitt 71), Cooke (Dallas 88), Millen, Songo'o, Garner (Dackers 82)

Subs not used: Hope, Snowball

Booked: Taylor, Lemonheigh-Evans, Lawrence