League Two: Cambridge United 1-1 MK Dons

Aaron Collins came off the bench to net a dramatic stoppage time penalty to snatch a well-deserved point for MK Dons in a 1-1 draw with Cambridge United.

In a tight game at the top end of League Two, the U’s looked on course for top of the table when substitute Shayne Lavery fired home with 14 minutes to go after a goal-mouth scramble.

But Aaron Nemane was downed in the box in fifth minute of stoppage time, allowing Welshman Collins to slot home the leveller.

A knee issue for Liam Kelly meant he missed out on the trip to Cambridge, prompting a reshuffle for Paul Warne’s side. Luke Offord was promoted into midfield to play alongside Dan Crowley, with Jack Sanders coming into the back three. Aaron Collins, having missed the last two games with an ankle issue, was back on the bench.

With it being second against third in League Two, both sets of fans were in buoyant mood come kick-off, and there was precious little to tell between the sides in the opening half.

Rather than having sustained periods of pressure, both sides went too and fro looking for the opening, and it should have been Dons going in ahead at the break.

Both goal-scorers from Monday night’s 2-0 win over Walsall had the best chances of the half, first with Jon Mellish put through by Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, but firing straight at keeper Jake Eastwood.

The second chance though was the best of the bunch, coming on 32 minutes, when Hepburn-Murphy found himself through on goal and with just the keeper to beat, he fired wide of the mark.

Cambridge did not do a vast amount to trouble Dons keeper Craig MacGillivray, though there were half-hearted appeals for a penalty when Marvin Ekpiteta won the ball from Ben Knight but referee Declan Bourne was unmoved. His time could come later though.

The second-half followed much the same pattern, but Cambridge began to carve themselves a few chances - the best of them coming when James Gibbons forced a good save from MacGillivray not long after the restart.

Looses touches threatened to undo both sides, most notably when Curtis Nelson let slip the ball to Louis Appere, but recovered to barge his way back in front of the striker to win it back.

The game had 0-0 written all over until, with 14 minutes to go, Cambridge thought they had won it. Gibbons got some space down the right to cross, Knight was initially denied, Dons threw bodies to deny a second chance off the line before substitute Shayne Lavery, barely on the field a minute, lashed home from close range.

It looked like it would be a cruel defeat for Dons when Joe Tomlinson was denied on the line before keeper Eastwood denied Nelson from close range.

But into the fifth minute of stoppage time, Aaron Nemane was clipped in the box, with Bourne this time pointing to the spot, allowing Aaron Collins to coolly slot home the equaliser.

Referee: Declan Bourne

Attendance: 7,538 (1,028)

Cambridge United: Eastwood, Bennett (Purrington 80), Ball, Watts, Brophy, Appere (Nevitt 65), Kaikai (Lavery 65), Knight (Raggett 80), Mpanzu (Smith 65), Jobe, Gibbons

Subs not used: Hughes, McConnell

MK Dons: MacGillivray, Sanders, Ekpiteta (Lemonheigh-Evans 90), Nelson, Jones (Nemane 75), Mellish, Offord, Crowley (Hogan 75), Gilbey, Wiles, Hepburn-Murphy

Subs not used: Trueman, Leko

Booked: Sanders, Nevitt