By Martin Atherton
MK Dons secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Accrington Stanley after having surrendered a 2-0 lead around the hour mark.
Goals from Cameron Jerome (2) and Matt O’Riley were enough to secure the victory, whilst a Dion Charles goal and an Andrew Surman own goal went in for Stanley.
There’s almost always an early goal in an MK Dons game and, thankfully, this time it came our way – Jerome latching onto an excellent Sorinola ball to fire home past Savin! 1-0!
The Dons’ top scorer then nearly had a chance to extend his side’s lead but fired his header into the side netting from a difficult angle.
There was one heart-in-mouth moment towards the end of the half – Fisher fluffing a clearance straight to an Accrington Player – but McEachran was well on hand to clean up. HT 1-0.
It then should have been 2-0 as captain Lewington was found almost unmarked and somehow fired over an empty goal. Sparing his blushes, though, the Dons’ #3 was offside anyway.
But there was little to worry about after that miss as Jerome then doubled his tally for the afternoon, connecting with a cross from the left and leaving his two markers for dust to tap home! 2-0.
Though immediately after, the away side got themselves back in it again – Charles firing home after some confusion at the back. 2-1.
And things then suddenly got worse as Accrington drew themselves level, Surman failing to properly clear a ball and seeing it fly into his own net. 2-2. Shocking.
That seemed to knock the confidence out of Dons, who then went from in complete control to looking shaky at the back.
O’Riley then came so close to winning it late on – a free-kick on the edge of the box flying just wide – but it still remained level.
Mason then came close again with a shot inside the area, but his tame effort was comfortably collected.
But – just as all hope seemed to have lost – O’Riley came up trumps in the last minute, sending a header past Savin to win it at the death! 3-2! GET IN!
An excellent win, and one that takes us within six points of a total that hasn’t relegated a League One side for decades with eleven games to go.
Frustrating to lose that 2-0 lead – but what a mentality shown to turn things around. A tough game against a similar side in Plymouth on Tuesday – Come on You Dons!
