MK Dons 3-0 Doncaster Rovers
MK Dons - 3 (Bowditch 65, Baker 77, 85)
Doncaster Rovers - 0
Tuesday 21st April
Stadium MK, Milton Keynes
Sky Bet League One
Kick off 7:45pm
Second half substitutes Carl Baker and Dean Bowditch came off the bench to keep MK Dons’ automatic promotion hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers.
Mitchell Lund retained his place in the Rovers team from Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Fleetwood Town, whilst Luke McCullough and Harry Forrester returned to the first eleven.
The hosts looked good on the break in the opening stages and Tottenham Hotspur bound Dele Ali forced Stephen Bywater into a save with an effort from the edge of the box.
The home side thought they had taken the lead inside 25 minutes, Samir Carruthers’ low effort was palmed out by Stephen Bywater and Dean Lewington tapped in the rebound, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Ali had another chance before the break, Carruthers teed up the 19 year-old but Bywater once again denied him.
Half Time: MK Dons 0-0 Doncaster Rovers
After the break Rovers had a good chance, Nathan Tyson broke and the ball fell to Harry Forrester who was well denied by goalkeeper David Martin.
Some neat play by Rovers led to a great effort from range by Kyle Bennett which was dipping in, however Martin made a great save to deny the Rovers midfielder another spectacular goal.
Ali again went close, this time with a speculative volley, the ball fell to him on the edge of the area and he caught it brilliantly, but it went just inches over the cross bar.
The Dons did make the breakthrough in the 64th minute, substitute Dean Bowditch scoring in bizarre circumstances, Mitchell Lund’s clearance header hit the forward in the face and looped in off the post.
Richie Wellens almost equalised for Rovers, a free-kick fell to the midfielder on the edge of the box, but he was denied by a great save from Martin tipping over the bar.
Fellow substitute Carl Baker doubled MK Dons lead, he weaved through the Rovers defence before smashing the ball into the top corner.
Baker then sealed the victory, breaking into the box and firing the ball low and hard into the bottom left corner to keep the home side’s dreams of automatic promotion to the Championship still intact.
Full Time: MK Dons 3-0 Doncaster Rovers
Team Lineups –
MK Dons: Martin; Spence, Kay, McFadzean, Lewington (c), Potter, Alli; Hall (C Baker 57), L Baker (Bowditch 64), Carruthers (Powell 86); Grigg.
Unused Subs: Burns, Hodson, Green, Powell, Cole.
Cautions: Evina 25, Forrester 52.
Rovers: Bywater, Lund, Butler, Jones (c), Evina, McCullough (Clarke-Harris 69), Wellens, Furman, Bennett, Forrester (Whitehouse 82), Tyson (Main 69).
Unused Subs: Marosi, Stevens, Wabara, Middleton.
Attendance: 8,159
Away: 266