Equalizers are a wonderful thing. A strike from Moussa Dembele late into the first half denied the MK Dons from getting a chance at victory on Saturday afternoon.
For our first game at stadiummk, it wasn't all that bad, when we had the first real chance of the game, with Jamie O'Hara's free kick meeting the head of Dembele, however it was caught by Dons goalie David Martin before it could go in. The home side replied in the form of a 20-yard shot from Dean Bowditch, forcing Joe Lewis to make an incredible diving save to parry it away. The following corner caused issues too, when the ball ended up with Josh Murphy, forcing Lewis into another diving save.
Another Bowditch effort sailed through our defences before being deflected out, before we had another chance on goal when Tom Cairney slipped McCormack in, the Scotsman crossing over to Dembele whose shot sliced over the net with a near wide, open goal.
Not long after it was 1-0. Some nice ball control from Bowditch meant that he could hit a swivel shot which went in near the far post, and out of Lewis' reach. The Dons striker caused even more trouble shortly after when he recieved a deep cross, but luckily Luke Garbutt was there to slide in for a deflection.
Tom Cairney was hacked down 25 yards out, with Ross McCormack taking the following free kick, however the Scot powered it straight into the wall. But luckily for us, we equalised shortly after in a stroke of luck. Sean Kavanagh drilled a shot all the way.... into Cairney's back, before ending up in the path of McCormack, who, in typical McCormack style used the power of teamwork to square a cross for Dembele, whose side footed shot slipped past Martin to make it 1-1.
Ryan Fredericks was replaced by Kay Voser for the start of the second half, before an effort from Kavanagh was caught easily by Martin. He was then shown a yellow for a foul on Murphy, who took the following free kick, whipping it past the wall, but the resulting header from Darren Potter skimmed the post. Bowditch, under pressure from Richard Stearman sent a weak shot at Lewis which was caught, before McCormack caught a booking for a foul in the 60th minute.
Nicky Maynard sent a shot sailing waaaaaay too far over the bar in the 66th minute, before Tunniclife limped off to be replaced by Sakari Mattila, while the Dons bought on Rob Hall for Bowditch.
Both sides had decent chances following this, with Murphy sending a threatening cross across the goal before Dan Burn hacked it away, while Kavanagh had his shot blocked. The Dons made their second change of the game in the 77th minute, with Samir Carruthers replaced by Carl Baker, before McCormack's 81st minute near-goal was cleared off the line. Maynard came off for Simon Church, Cairney sent a shot towards Martin which was easily saved, Baker sliced a left footed shot over for the home side, and Garbutt diverted a cross from Murphy out for a bland corner as the final whistle blew in what was a pretty decent draw.