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REACTION: MK DONS 1 LEYTON ORIENT 0
Dons manager Paul Ince: "It was thoroughly deserved today, I thought we were by far the better side and Willy only had one save to make.
"I'm disappointed we didn't put the game to bed - Chaddy had a great chance he's got to score from and there were two penalty appeals that were arguably penalties.
"But at this time of the season you've got to be happy with getting a result and 1-0 is a great result to have."
FULL-TIME: MK DONS 1 LEYTON ORIENT 0
Dropped points elsewhere make this a potentially big win for MK Dons, who retain their 100 per cent record on stadiummk Family Dons Days with a hard-fought but deserved win against Orient.
Mark Carrington's 31st-minute goal was the difference between the sides on a game that was typical of this point in the season - result far more significant than performance.
Dons can be pleased with the way they played though and went close to extending their lead in the second half through Luke Chadwick and Dean Morgan.
Huddersfield's defeat at Gillingham and Millwall's draw at Walsall leaves Ince's men six points off the play-offs with a game in hand. Suddenly not so impossible after all.
FULL-TIME: MK DONS 1 LEYTON ORIENT 0
90+2mins - Cautions for Stirling and Tehoue for their parts in that little coming together. Must be one of the quickest bookings off the bench in stadiummk history.
90mins - Dons make their final change as Jude Stirling comes on to replace Jermaine Easter. Four minutes for the home side to hang on as a bit of handbags breaks out just inside the Dons half after a foul on Carrington.
89mins - Dons fans become frustrated with their team slowing the game down despite bodies being available to push forward. Lewington eventually feeds Morgan, who spins cleverly into space before rifling narrowly wide from 25 yards. Jones was scrambling across to that.
87mins - Orient trying to come on strong in the closing stages with a succession of long balls forward for the physically dominating Scowcroft. Ince responds by introducing his own physical dominator - Sean O'Hanlon, returning to stadiummk after a long term injury lay-off. He replaces Tunnicliffe.
84mins - Terrific ovation for Chadwick, who hobbles off after a typically-committed sliding tackle down this right flank. No lasting damage though and Dean Morgan is on to replace him.
80mins - Change for Orient as Adam Chambers come on to replace Sean Thornton. Few nerves starting to creep in around stadiummk and the Dons could do with easing them. Other results are very much going their way.
79mins - Been a quietish afternoon for Willy Gueret, but the Frenchman has earned his corn there with a flying save to his right to keep out Scowcroft's brilliantly-struck volley. A lot of appreciation from the home supporters for that.
77mins - Easter asks the question as he spins beautifully on Chadwick's throughball to wrongfoot Mkandawire, but the big O's defender gets a foot around him to hook the ball away before the shot can come in. Easter wants the foul, but it was probably a fair one.
72mins - Lewington is disappointed with himself after shaking off his marker to meet Leven's whipped free-kick from the left, but planting his header onto the roof of the net.
65mins - Big shout goes up for handball inside the Orient box as Thornton pulls Easter's cross from the right with what looks like an arm. Four Dons players all go up in unison, but Danny McDermid ignores their appeals.
63mins - Orient make their first change and it's been a quiet return for Aaron Doran to stadiummk, who is replaced by Jonathan Tehoue. McGleish is also making way for the equally-experienced James Scowcroft.
60mins - Yellow card for Jimmy Smith after the former Chelsea man had jumped in at Chadwick a little. Rash more than anything.
59mins - Lovely football from the home side as Randall, Carrington and Wilbraham combine to find Chadwick in the left side of the box. Good block from Purches to deny his shot. Lewington delivers in again from the left, Easter controls smartly and fires over.
58mins - Randall doing his best to impose himself on this game, receiving possession in midfield before letting fly with a 30-yarder that whistles just wide. A look to the heavens from the young Arsenal loanee, who is becoming more and more of an influence.
56mins - Super challenge from Randall on Purches gives Chadwick the chance to lead a three-on-three break, but the pace goes out of the move and the Dons again don't make the most of it. Fantastic attendance of 14,323 inside stadiummk this afternoon.
52mins - Dons should probably have had a second there as a quick free-kick from Lewington sends Chadwick clean through down the left. He takes it on his left foot from 14 yards and is denied by Jones at the near post. Orient players are furious about the quick set-piece, but the Dons should have made more of it.
49mins - Second half starting much along the same lines as the first - a battle in midfield. Randall and Carrington have again looked to get on the ball and slide little passes in but have been foiled by the Orient defence. McGleish is just snared by the linesman's flag as he looks to race in behind onto a Jarvis pass.
4.07pm - SECOND HALF KICKS OFF
Orient get us back underway in this second period. The Dons are now attacking the Cowshed and defending a 1-0 lead.
HALF-TIME: MK DONS 1 LEYTON ORIENT 0
Plenty of substance and a dash of style from MK Dons in the opening 45 minutes and they lead courtesy of Mark Carrington's fifth goal of the season.
The Dons midfielder was brave to put the finishing touch to an Aaron Wilbraham ball in, putting his head between defender and goalkeeper to nod his side in front.
It's been a gritty 45 minutes that move aside - the Dons having the better of the possession and pressure and looking pretty solid in a defence that has been superbly screened by Peter Leven.
Other scorelines, as they stand, would suggest this might be a good week to get back to winning ways.
HALF-TIME: MK DONS 1 LEYTON ORIENT 0
45mins - Two minutes to be added on at the end of the half as Randall goes into the book for a foul on Thornton. Not a bad challenge, simply trying to use his body to ease the O's man out, but it's his fifth foul of the half and Mr McDermid indicates as such.
44mins - More gorgeous play from Randall, who pirouettes delightfully away from Cave-Brown inside the Dons half before floating a perfectly-weighted ball behind Mkandawire for Wilbraham. The two contest possession and the Orient defender goes down holding his face, bringing about a free-kick for the visitors.
38mins - Lovely idea from Randall, who interprets a bad touch from Cave-Brown before moving infield and carrying the attack forward. Easter is available to his right, but Randall takes on a chip from long-range that isn't a million miles off target.
33mins - Another half-sight for Doran as the ball breaks right of an exposed Dons defence, but his well-struck 18-yard shot is equally well blocked by McCracken.
31mins - GOAL! MK DONS 1 ORIENT 0 - MARK CARRINGTON
Dons make the breakthrough and it's that man Carrington, who just loves scoring at stadiummk. Dons keep pressure on the Orient defence with Tunnicliffe and Randall both working hard to keep the attack alive after defensive clearances. It eventually breaks for Wilbraham on the edge of the box, who lifts a lovely ball over the two centre-halves for the bursting Carrington, who arrives bang on time to nudge his header past Jones from eight yards.
29mins - Bit of indecision in the Dons defence allows Jarvis to make a nuisance of himself on the edge of the box. McCracken heads away from him, but only into the path of Doran, who shirks at the sight of McCracken trying to get a block in and wastes the sight of goal.
28mins - Excellent pressure from Wilbraham on Purches down the Dons right, pinching the ball off the Orient skipper before carrying into the left side of the box. Leven, Randall and Easter are arriving, but the cutback hits the heels of Chorley and trickles into the hands of Jones.
22mins - As close as we've come as Leven's corner from the left swings towards the far post and Lewington rises to head just over the bar and onto the roof of the net.
18mins - Sight of goal for Chadwick, but his touch lets him down as Wilbraham flicks the ball through to him after Leven had loaded it into the box. Long throws from Tunnicliffe are causing some problems.
15mins - Bulldozing challenge from Randall on Mkandawire halfway inside the Orient half - the Dons man thundering in to win the ball and send the Orient defender cartwheeling over him. Not just a stylish player, but a solid tackler.
Paul Mitchell on MK Dons Player: "It's been a bright start from Lewie on this side, he's sensed that Doran is far from happy to track him back and is having a lot of joy on this side."
12mins - Decent spell of pressure from the home side, particularly down this left-hand side where Lewington has been very keen to support Chadwick further forward. Tunnicliffe hurls a long throw in from the left and Jamie Jones comes to take a far-from-clean catch under pressure from Wilbraham and McCracken.
8mins - The yellow card is out quickly for Wilbraham, who juggles the ball over Mkandawire's head before stumbling in the box. Danny McDermid thinks he was trying it on and promptly books the Dons striker. In fairness, it didn't look like he was looking for it.
5mins - Good recovery from McCracken as Jarvis' flick on threatens to send McGleish scuttling in behind. The resulting corner from the left looks to be heading for the forehead of the unmarked Mkandawire, but he mistimes his jump.
4mins - Mild scramble inside the Dons box as a long throw from Purches down the right catches everyone out and McCracken can only get a glancing head on it. McGleish and Demetriou are lurking but McCracken is eventually awarded a free-kick for a push.
3.04pm - KICK-OFF
A minute of applause for the late Keith Alexander is the fitting build-up to kick-off, taken by the Dons in all white and defending the Cowshed in the first period. Orient are in all red.
2.58pm - A terrific reception for the teams as they emerge from the tunnel and the Dons players break to a packed Cowshed to applaud the home support. Great following from Orient today as well - around 1,000 O's fans gathered in the corner to our left. We'll be off and running very shortly.
2.55pm - There's a wonderful atmosphere building here, thanks in part to the brilliant Bloco Fogo - a 30-man team of Brazilian samba drummers who have got the Cowshed rocking as we prepare to welcome the teams. The players will have some stage to perform on here.
2.50pm - TEAM NEWS - Two changes for the Dons this afternoon as Mark Randall and Mark Carrington are introduced to a very creative-looking midfield. Just one for Orient, also in the middle of the park, where Sean Thornton comes in for Adam Chambers.
MK DONS: Willy Gueret, Dean Lewington (c), David McCracken, Jermaine Easter, Aaron Wilbraham, Mark Carrington, Danny Woodards, James Tunnicliffe, Peter Leven, Luke Chadwick, Mark Randall.
SUBS: Jude Stirling, Mathias Doumbe, Sean O'Hanlon, Stuart Searle, Sol Davis, Luke Howell, Dean Morgan.
LEYTON ORIENT: Jamie Jones, Stephen Purchess (c), Ben Chorley, Tamika Mkandawire, Aaron Doran, Scott McGleish, Sean Thornton, Jason Demetriou, Ryan Jarvis, Andrew Cave-Brown, Jimmy Smith.
SUBS: Glenn Morris, Adam Chambers, Charlie Daniels, Jonathan Tehoue, Harry Baker, Cestor Mike, James Scowcroft.
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Mark Carrington comes back into the Dons side. |
2.40pm - There's a carnival-like atmosphere at stadiummk today as the Dons host their latest Citizen Family Dons Day in front of what is expected to be a huge crowd. With a brilliantly-charged atmosphere for the Dons to perform in, the previous two Family Dons Day have brought about 2-0 wins for the men from MK. How Paul Ince would love a similar result this afternoon.
A 13-game mini-season begins for Ince's side this afternoon against Leyton Orient. They're nine points off the play-offs and in need of a special run to keep their season from fading away, but the belief in the dressing room is that they can be the team on the charge come May, hitting the end-of-season shake-up with the kind of momentum they fell victim to last season.
A win will be needed for a start today against an O's side that have only lost one in their last nine games. A victory for Geraint Williams's side would move them into the top half of the table.
Should be a terrific atmosphere and we'll be bringing you a flavour of that on MK Dons Player and here on Clockwatch from 3.00pm.
