Twine leads Dons to a stunning comeback as Dons beat Lincoln City

A quite stunning Boxing Day comeback from MK Dons saw them overturn a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 at Lincoln City on Saturday.

A mad opening saw Warren O’Hora convert into his own net before Daniel Harvie gave away a bizarre penalty to allow Chris Maguire to double the lead just eight minutes in.

But a second half fight back saw Scott Twine and Matt O’Riley net to draw level, before Twine added his second in stoppage time to seal a win which looked unlikely just 45 minutes earlier.

After more than two weeks without a game, Covid protocols and interruptions in between, Liam Manning was able to name a pretty strong starting 11 for the Boxing Day clash with Lincoln City. Making four changes from the side which started against Oxford United 15 days earlier, Harry Darling, Peter Kioso, Scott Twine and Mo Eisa were all back on the pitch.

Lincoln had claimed just two wins at home prior to kick-off, but Father Christmas appeared to come a day late for the Imps as they found themselves 2-0 up after just eight minutes.

The first came in somewhat fortunate circumstances for the hosts, who saw Hakeeb Adelakun's cross put into his own net by Warren O'Hora, who could do little about it after four minutes.

Three minutes later though, one of the most ridiculous penalties was awarded when Daniel Harvie felt he was fouled in the penalty area and picked the ball up only for referee Carl Boyeson to point to the spot, awarding the handball. Chris Maguire made no mistakes in doubling Lincoln's lead.

Plenty of times last season, Dons played their best stuff when they had fallen behind and it proved to be the case again at the LNER Stadium as they began to build, but it could and should have been curtains on 25 minutes when Adelakun somehow missed from inside six yards with the goal wide open.

Dons though had the better of the created chances in the first half - Peter Kioso headed Matt O'Riley's corner just wide, Mo Eisa fired into the side netting and Scott Twine forced keeper Josh Griffiths into a fine acrobatic stop to tip his deflected effort over the bar.

Unusually for a Lincoln City crowd, they were very quiet towards the end of the half and into the second, perhaps predicting what would come their way before the full-time whistle. And whatever Liam Manning said to his side at the interval certainly made a difference as Dons took the game by the scruff of the neck.

They forced the issue without really creating much clear cut, but like Lincoln with their goals, an element of luck allowed Dons to get one back on the hour mark. A loose pass from the Lincoln defence allowed Twine acres of space in the penalty area to slide past Griffiths to reduce the arrears.

Lincoln, who hadn't kept a clean sheet all season, were then feeling the pressure as Dons continued to pile forwards but they really should have put the game out of reach with 15 minutes to go but for another astounding miss - this time from Anthony Scully - putting wide when the goal was wide open.

From there, Dons relentlessly took the game and within seconds of that miss were level. Matt O'Riley was magnificent throughout and was rewarded when the ball fell kindly to him on the edge of the penalty area with 15 minutes to go and he slotted it brilliantly into the corner of the net.

Unwilling to let the game slip away without a scrap, Lincoln picked up and threatened to retake the lead with a string of tempting balls into the mixer which, by hook or crook, were kept out by the Dons defence intent on snatching at least a point.

And they would snatch all three at the very death. Kioso's effort on the edge of a penalty area skipped up into the air and Twine, alert as ever, swung his left foot at it and courtesy of a massive deflection, it nestled into the net past Griffiths to send the Dons supporters back home happy.

Referee: Carl Boyeson

Attendance: 8,328 (333)

Lincoln City: Griffiths, Poole, Montsma, Maguire, Bishop (Scully 68), Adelakun (Draper 85), Bramall, McGrandles, Fiorini (Sorensen 75), Eyoma, Bridcutt

Subs not used: Long, J Robson

MK Dons: Fisher, Lewingtobn, O'Hora, Darling, Kioso, Harvie, McEachran (Kasumu 85), Boateng (Parrott 60), O'Riley, Twine, Eisa (Brown 85)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Watson, Jules, E Robson

Booked: McGrandles, Twine, Bridcutt, Darling, Eyoma