Scrappy win for Dons as they hold on to see off Accrington Stanley

MK Dons finally picked up back-to-back wins as they held on to beat Accrington Stanley 2-1 at Stadium MK to move up into the top half of League Two.

Alex Gilbey opened the scoring inside the opening minute when he capitalised on a defensive mistake from the Stanley defence, but the game quickly degraded into a slug-fest between the sides.

Joe Tomlinson doubled Dons’ advantage on 58 minutes with a cracking effort from range, but substitute Josh Woods pulled one back for the visitors with 23 minutes to go to make it a nervy end.

Holding on though, Scott Lindsey earned his first home win, Dons picked up back-to-back wins for the first time since March and climbed into the top half of League Two, now sitting 12th.

After the routine 3-1 win over Morecambe on Saturday, Scott Lindsey named an unchanged side to face Accrington Stanley on Tuesday. Scott Hogan was making only his second start, while Nico Lawrence was in the heart of the defence again.

Alex Gilbey won a penalty inside the opening minute during the win at the Mazuma Stadium three days prior, and this time around he went one better as he opened the scoring in rapid fashion, again within 60 seconds. A loose pass out from Accrington keeper Billy Crellin, who had replaced former Dons stopper Michael Kelly in recent weeks, went straight to skipper Gilbey, who made no mistakes in rolling the ball into the unguarded net to give Dons the lead.

But from there, the game descended into a scrappy and uncontrolled affair. Accrington, who came into the game off the back of three straight wins in League Two, in fact looked the more dangerous side for the majority of the half without greatly troubling keeper Tom McGill. Darra Costelloe blasted a couple off target, while Shaun Whalley - a regular thorn in Dons' side down the years - tested the stopper from 35-yards but they never looked like getting back on level terms.

At the other end though, Dons had next to nothing to offer up, unable to break through Stanley's midfield press, often forced backwards, giving possession up cheaply, much to the chagrin of boss Lindsey.

While the first-half was scrappy and void of entertainment, the second was a thriller, albeit similarly low on quality. Both sides fought and tore into each other at times as the yellow cards flew about, but chances remained at a premium.

Just as the visitors appeared to be getting on top though, Joe Tomlinson struck for a second time in as many games to double Dons' lead. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans' cross towards Gilbey was cut out but only as far as the wing-back, who took aim from 25-yards, bending a cracking effort past Crellin two minutes before the hour.

Accrington made a triple substitution though and it would pay immediate dividends as Tyler Walton showed Laurence Maguire a clean set of heels to pick out a completely unmarked Josh Woods to roll home on 67 minutes, setting up a tense finale.

Tackles continued to fly in as the bookings mounted and tensions threatened to boil over at times, but Dons held on in the latter stages to claim the win.

Referee: Ross Martin

Attendance: 5,084 (79)

MK Dons: McGill, Offord, Lawrence, Maguire, Tomlinson, Nemane (Williams 75), Tomlinson, Kelly, Lemonheigh-Evans, Gilbey, White (Carroll 46 (Lewington 90), Hogan (Harrison 65)

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Tucker, Ilunga

Accrington Stanley: Crellin, Awe, Rawson, Coyle (Love 59), Whalley (Hunter 75), B Woods, Knowles (J Woods 59), Batty (Henderson 80), Costelloe (Walton 59), Aljofree, O'Brien

Subs not used: Kelly, Popoola

Booked: Gilbey, Whalley, Coyle, Tomlinson, Batty, Lewington, Love, Rawson, Offord, Hunter