REPORT: MK Dons 0-2 Peterborough: Poor Dons punished by Posh

The home side trailed after just 60 seconds when they failed to pick up Andrew Hughes’ run as he prodded Marcus Maddison’s free kick.

The home side looked better in possession, but lacked ideas and direction going forward. And with Peterborough looking comfortable, Michael Bostwick nodded past Martin, yet again from a Maddison free kick, to double the advantage and put Dons to bed.

Darren Potter returned to the starting line-up after missing the last two through injury as Karl Robinson made sweeping changes to the side which started in the EFL Cup against Reading in the week. Scott Wootton, who scored the winner against Rochdale, was left on the bench, as were Dean Bowditch and Kabongo Tshimanga, who scored at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night.

Dons though couldn’t have made a worse start to the match and found themselves trailing inside the opening 60 seconds. Andrew Hughes was given the freedom of the penalty area by the MK Dons defence to poke Marcus Maddison’s pinpoint free kick past David Martin.

The visitors were very much the brighter starting, and gave Dons barely any time on the ball as they sought to capitalise on the shaky start. But Martin was alert to Maddison’s low drilled strike from 25 yards.

Dons steadily grew into the game and began to control the play but chances weren’t forthcoming. Daniel Powell was having good fortune against Michael Smith, but his decision making was costing Dons chances as he, all too often, picked the wrong option. However, he brought the best save out of Peterborough keeper Mark Tyler when Nicky Maynard beat the offside trap and after drawing Tyler out, pulled back to Powell on the edge of the box. But somehow, Tyler got something on it to deny Dons an equaliser.

They couldn’t continue their dominance in the second half as Peterborough started the far brighter. Gwion Edwards forced a good save from Martin early in the half, but their dominance was more in possession than in their ability to create chances.

In a bid to turn the tide, Dons introduced Ben Reeves and Dean Bowditch and their influences certainly lifted the crowd. Chances for Maynard though were still few and far between, but he was given two or three sights of goal courtesy of a larger threat from out wide.

But Dons were once again undone by a Maddison set piece, this time finding Michael Bostwick to get a flick on and guide it into the top corner, putting Posh 2-0 ahead with 20 minutes to go.

And the second goal signalled curtains for Dons, both in terms of chasing the game, but also their mentality. With their heads down, more touches were loose, passes were askew and play was just poor on the whole.

The final whistle was met with resounding boos for Robinson and his side, but given the performance, were somewhat justified.

Referee: Mark Heywood

Attendance: 10,261

MK Dons: Martin, Lewington, Walsh, Downing, Baldock, Potter, Upson (Reeves 55), Carruthers, Powell, GC Williams (Bowditch 55), Maynard (Tshimanga 78)

Subs not used: Nicholls, Wootton, GB Williams, Rasulo

Peterborough: Tyler, Smith, Hughes, Bostwick, Baldwin, Edwards (Anderson 90), Forrester, Taylor (Chettle 73), Maddison, Da Silva Lopes, Nichols (Coulthirst 85)

Subs not used: Henry, Santos, Anderson, Binnom-Williams, Moore

Booked: Walsh, Taylor, Lewington, Baldock