REPORT: Dons denied yet again as Tranmere claim Stadium MK draw

MK Dons ended September without a League Two win after rueing early misses in an entertaining clash with Tranmere Rovers.
Chuks Aneke celebrates his equalising goal (Pictures: Jane Russell)Chuks Aneke celebrates his equalising goal (Pictures: Jane Russell)
Chuks Aneke celebrates his equalising goal (Pictures: Jane Russell)

Paul Tisdale’s troops were unable to build on Chuks Aneke’s first-half leveller as they were held to a stalemate for a fifth time this month in all competitions.

Striker Ryan Healey had three good sights of goal inside eight minutes but the hosts had to rely on an error from goalkeeper Scott Davies for Aneke to rescue a point in injury-time at the end of the first period.

Aneke stroked the ball into an empty net from 10 yards after Davies had missed Dean Lewington’s looping left-wing cross.

That cancelled out a similarly straightforward Jonny Smith strike in the 37th minute as he rolled into an unguarded net after Lee Nicholls had done well to deny Rovers’ leading-scorer James Norwood.

Tranmere improved after their shaky start but most of the second-half chances fell to the Dons before Connor Jennings nearly stunned Stadium MK by nodding wide from close range in the 89th minute.

The hosts flowed out of the blocks, only to find Davies in good early form.

The Tranmere goalkeeper beat away a second-minute shot from Healey at the near post before the same striker squeezed a left footer across goal.

Davies then did well to block Healey’s close-range shot before Aneke’s header came back off the bar.

Aneke came closest to winning it for the Dons, shooting just wide under heavy pressure from Manny Monthe and Zoumana Bakayogo, and also being denied after a clever Healey flick.

Healey also forced Davies into a flying save but Tranmere were also a threat, with Adam Buxton similarly extending Nicholls with an angle shot.

Jennings had a fine chance to give Tranmere all three points but headed narrowly wide from an Ollie Banks cross in the closing minutes.