Paterson blasts MK Dons to a point in Notts County draw

Callum Paterson’s seventh goal of the season ensured MK Dons rounded out 2025 with a 1-1 draw against Notts County on Monday night.

Trailing to Tom Iorpenda’s goal on the stroke of half-time, the Scot saw an effort just wide of the post before he rattled home with 20 minutes to go after substitute Rushian Hepburn-Murphy drew a brilliant save from Kelle Roos.

The draw means Dons go into 2026 sitting fourth in League Two, taking on Colchester in Essex on New Year’s Day.

Injury to Will Collar forced Paul Warne into changes to his side from the one which beat Swindon Town on Boxing Day, with Kane Thompson-Sommers coming into the fray. Jon Mellish also returned to the side as Gethin Jones dropped to the bench, and there was space amongst the substitutes for Scott Hogan for the first time since September.

For as lively as the game 20 days prior at Meadow Lane was, with four goals in the opening 27 minutes, it was stark contrast at Stadium MK as neither side looked to be in their stride for much of the first-half.

The scrappier play tended to suit County as their attacking threats of Tom Iorpenda, Alassana Jatta and ex-Dons striker Matt Dennis looked to get on the front foot and run at the home defence.

But it would be Dons who came closest to finding the opener midway through the first period when Jack Sanders’ header through a crowd dropped to Mellish, who took a swipe at it only to see it come back off the post.

Neither side looked likely to break the deadline before the break until Iorpenda, who netted the winner at the death in the reverse fixture, did just that on the stroke of half-time. Given a lot of time on the edge of the box to line up a shot, he picked out the bottom corner to send County into the break ahead.

Three substitutions at the break though would wake Dons up and get them back into the affair. Gethin Jones, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy were introduced for Aaron Nemane, Kane Thompson-Sommers and Aaron Collins, and it was the jolt in the arm the hosts needed.

Looking a significantly bigger threat as the system change, Callum Paterson, who barely had a sniff in the first 45 minutes, rattled one just past the post not long after the restart, but he would get his reward with 20 minutes to go.

A driving run from skipper Gilbey saw him pull it back for Hepburn-Murphy to draw a brilliant save from Kelle Roos - the first of the game for the County stopper - but the rebound fell for Paterson to smash home the leveller.

But while Dons had the wind in their sails for 10 minutes or so afterwards, both sides appeared fairly happy to see out the remainder on even terms.

Referee: Lee Swabey

Attendance: 9,233 (1,936)

MK Dons: MacGillivray, Offord, Ekpiteta, Sanders, Nemane (G Jones 46), Mellish, Thompson-Sommers (Lemonheigh-Evans 46), Kelly (Crowley 67), Gilbey, Collins (Hepburn-Murphy 46), Paterson

Subs not used: Trueman, Hogan, Leko

Notts County: Roos, Bedau, Platt, Norburn, Iorpenda, Kouhyar (Gordon 61), Dennis (Grant 78), Tsaroulla, Hall (J Jones 90), Macari (Ness 90), Jatta

Subs not used: Griffiths, Hinchy, Bennetts

Booked: Thompson-Sommers, Gilbey, Dennis, Hall, Roos