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REACTION: MK DONS 2 SWINDON TOWN 1
Dons assistant manager Karl Robinson: "We played down the importance of tonight to a degree, but the players knew it was a game we couldn't afford to lose. To have got three points from it is fantastic.
"We had a game plan to get at their centre-halves if they tried to play out from the back and it worked in the first couple of minutes for Alby's goal.
"We rode our luck a bit, but not as much as them - Carra had two fantastic chances to score and so did Jamma."
FULL-TIME: MK DONS 2 SWINDON TOWN 1
Douglas does get one last chance to snatch something as Paynter sets him up inside the box, but drags wide to give the Dons a potentially-huge three points.
First half goals from Aaron Wilbraham and James Tunnicliffe did the damage for Paul Ince's side, who could have increased their advantage as Mark Randall twice went close after the break.
Swindon, who hit the woodwork three times in the first half, did pull a goal back late on through the impressive Danny Ward, but it was too little too late.
Dons pull to within five points of the play-offs with 11 games remaining.
FULL-TIME: MK DONS 2 SWINDON TOWN 1
90+4mins - GOAL! MK DONS 2 SWINDON TOWN 1 - DANIEL WARD
Swindon give themselves hope but surely it's too late as the ball breaks to the right side of the box to Ward, who drills a stunning volley across Gueret and into the top corner.
90+3mins - Wilbraham does brilliantly to win a free-kick off Greer in the corner flag but, rather than kill time, Ince urges his side to go for more goals. Leven swings in from the right and Easter glances a header fractionally wide.
90mins - Dons fans aren't impressed with the four minutes that are going to be added on, but Ince's side will have to see them out. Fouls by Jean-Francois on Easter as Swindon launch the ball forward will help them.
88mins - Brief moment for Dons fans to worry as Gueret comes a long way to punch a McGovern ball into his box from the left. Not a clean connection, but Douglas' shot from the edge of the box is dragged miles wide.
85mins - It's going to be a double change for the home side as Stirling and Randall make way for Mathias Doumbe and Luke Howell. Swindon make one of their own as Amankwaah makes way for Lescinel Jean-Francois.
84mins - Lewington struggles with a swirling high ball on the corner of the Dons box and his header gives Austin a brief sight of goal. The volley is ambitious though and Gueret catches with ease.
79mins - Chadwick has been magnificent again tonight, both in attack and defence, with his latest brave block denying Douglas from long-range. Amankwaah tries his luck from even further out and is well off target.
78mins - Carrington's going into the book for a fairly obvious foul on Austin. It's a pre-meditated one, it was there to stop the counter-attack and he'll probably take it on the chin.
76mins - Patient build-up from the Dons down the left as Lewington and Wilbraham exchange passes before the skipper finds Randall. Well-struck shot from 25 yards dips just over the crossbar.
74mins - Stirling is walking a tightrope after fouling Austin on the left corner of the Dons box and Luke Howell might be coming on to replace him. Sheehan's free-kick is headed wide by Paynter.
72mins - Dons fail to make the most of a good position down the left as Chadwick slips round Amankwaah and into the box. His cutback is aimed for Randall, but it comes at him a little quickly on his left foot and he can't get the shot off.
68mins - Ward dances round Stirling on the deadball line down the left and has his ankles rapped by the Dons defender as he puts his cross in. Free-kick given in a dangerous area and a caution issued. Dons clear the set-piece.
66mins - Austin almost gets in behind again after exchanging passes with Ward on the left flank. Lewington is the man getting back goal-side this time though, as sees off the danger.
63mins - Swindon pop the ball around for the first time in a while as Dons work hard to keep them under pressure, but McGovern's final ball is some way off its target and runs behind for a goal-kick. It's been very direct from Swindon at times tonight, very un-Wilson-like, but that was better.
61mins - Swindon break from a Dons attack and Austin thinks he's clear until Chadwick responsibly chases him back and rescues his side with a sliding tackle. Austin thinks he was fouled, the referee thinks not.
58mins - Double change for the visitors as Danny Wilson introduces Charlie Austin, who the visiting fans have been calling for for quite some time, and he replaces Pericard. Gordon Greer is coming on as well, in place of Sean Morrison.
55mins - Dons look set to bring Swindon onto them at the moment as they try to tease them out before hitting them on the break with what would surely be a clincher. Next goal is vital.
50mins - Lewington's cute header down on the left gives Chadwick room to attack and he springs a pass left for the bursting Carrington. Cross is headed down by Easter, Randall turns superbly away from two on the edge of the box and stabs just wide of the left-hand upright.
48mins - Chest infection cleared up, Dons boss Paul Ince is back in the technical area after watching the first half in the stands. Billy Paynter has also shaken off his own problem and has resumed in the second half.
8.50pm - SECOND HALF KICKS OFF
Dons get us back underway in the second period, now attacking the Cowshed with a two-goal lead.
HALF-TIME: MK DONS 2 SWINDON TOWN 0
Paul Ince will be a very happy man after that first half showing - his side two goals to the good, but not without a stroke or two of fortune.
They got a golden start inside two minutes when Luke Chadwick ripped through the heart of the Swindon defence, drawing a good save from Davis Lucas before Aaron Wilbraham gobbled up the rebound.
Chances flowed at both ends as Wilbraham, Jermaine Easter and Mark Carrington all went close for the home side, while Swindon twice hit the woodwork through Billy Paynter and Jonathan Douglas.
James Tunnicliffe headed home to increase the Dons' authority on proceedings before Paynter hit the post again from close range.
Very watchable and Clockwatch would be surprised if the scoring was finished.
HALF-TIME: MK DONS 2 SWINDON TOWN 0
45+2mins - Paynter's a little trouble after being caught in the air by McCracken and that's likely to take us up to the break. The Swindon striker looks in some discomfort and he should be - he's hit the woodwork twice already.
45+1mins - First of two added minutes and Swindon are looking to the heavens again as Ward's brilliant cross from the left comes off a combination of McCracken and Paynter and bounces off the left-hand post. A third strike of the woodwork.
43mins - Referee James Linington is not a popular man as a frustrated Ward drags Easter to the floor deep in Dons territory, but no free-kick is given. Stirling launches downfield to find Wilbraham in bags of space down the right, and now's it's going to be pulled back so Easter can be treated.
40mins - Swindon fans becoming frustrated at the ease with which Wilbraham is winning balls in the air against both Morrison and Cuthbert. They'll feel hard-done-by to be two goals behind, Swindon, but they have looked shaky in defence.
37mins - GOAL! MK DONS 2 SWINDON 0 - JAMES TUNNICLIFFE
From within inches of being level, to going two-down in just seconds. Leven's corner from the left is met by the horrendously unmarked Tunnicliffe, who powers a header past Lucas from 11 yards for his first Dons goal.
35mins - Swindon rattle the woodwork again as McGovern's cross is cleared as far as Douglas by McCracken and Gueret waves his effort goodbye as it crashes against the inside of the left post.
34mins - Wow, what a chance for Carrington and, with the form he's in, you'd have backed him to take it all night long. Swindon are indecisive in defence again and Wilbraham is able to send the midfielder clear in the box. Lucas gets down brilliantly to stop his side-footed effort.
29mins - Both sides very keen to keep attacking here as Randall is just robbed before he can shoot on the edge of the box and Swindon break down the left. Sheehan's cross has plenty of bodies to aim at, but Paynter can't duck low enough to get a good connection and the ball bounces to safety.
26mins - Lovely bit of football from the Dons as Chadwick finds Easter on the edge of the box, who plays a one-two in the air with Carrington to his right and volleys just over the bar. Corner given so there must have been a touch, but it comes to little.
25mins - Pericard wins a free-kick on the right corner of the Dons box after a trip from McCracken. Sheehan takes it left-footed, but it's too close to Gueret, who saves easily.
24mins - It's been a decent response from Swindon since those hairy opening minutes. They've controlled possession for longer periods in the last few minutes and are working the Dons across the pitch without overly threatening. It's quietened the crowd down and they'll look to build from here.
18mins - The Dons certaintly aren't short of defensive options on the bench, but it's Jude Stirling that Ince calls for and the big crowd favourite heads across to the right-back position as Woodards hobbles off.
16mins - This isn't a good sign for the home side as Woodards blocks a cross from Ward down the Swindon left and then drops to the turf calling for the physio. Looks resigned to it, and he's not going to be able to continue.
14mins - Swindon so unlucky and within inches of an equaliser as McGovern's cross from the right takes a mild deflection off Lewington, deceiving Tunnicliffe in the middle and Paynter rattles a great volley off the top of the crossbar from 16 yards. Great technique, unfortunate not to score.
12mins - Swindon carved open again and Easter should really do better with a completely free header from Chadwick's drifted left wing cross. There's not much pace on it, but he probably had time to pull it down had he realised. Lucas saves comfortably.
10mins - Dons attack breaks down and Swindon are able to hit them with pace down the left through Danny Ward. There's little support as Woodards holds him up and Ward opts for an angled shot that Gueret saves easily.
6mins - Genuine chance for Wilbraham to make it two as Chadwick tears through Swindon again, this time from the left after exchanging passes with Carrington. His pass right gives Wilbraham shooting space from 18 yards, but he fires it straight at Lucas.
5mins - Swindon caught completely cold by that Dons start, but it was wonderful stuff from Chadwick to ghost through their defence. Home fans are appealing for a penalty as Wilbraham is held up by Morrison in the box, but the whistle has gone for a foul by the Dons striker.
2mins - GOAL! MK DONS 1 SWINDON 0 - AARON WILBRAHAM
Magical start from the home side as Luke Chadwick bursts through the heart of the Swindon defence after robbing Morrison and dancing round Cuthbert. HIs initial shot is well saved by David Lucas, but Wilbraham walks onto the easiest tap-in of his life to give the Dons the lead.
7.46pm - KICK-OFF
Swindon, in all-red, get the game underway playing from left to right as we look at it, defending the end housing what must be close to 1,000 visiting fans. Dons, in all white with black sleeves, are defending the Cowshed in the first period.
7.43pm - The teams are out of the tunnel, with former Don Jon-Paul McGovern the final Swindon player to emerge. As the Dons players file down the line of their Swindon counterparts, shaking hands as they go, McGovern meets just two of the players he played with during his time in Milton Keynes - skipper Dean Lewington and striker Aaron Wilbraham.
We'll have the pre-match formalities and then we'll be underway.
7.40pm - Some fancy footwork from a football freestyler is getting the fans in the mood tonight, while also helping the Dons launch their support for this year's Sport Relief campaign. For more information on how the Dons are supporting Sport Relief and how you can run the Milton Keynes Sport Relief Mile, click here.
7.32pm - TEAM NEWS - No changes for the Dons tonight as Paul Ince sticks with the team that started Saturday's win over Leyton Orient. That means a 4-3-3 formation with Luke Chadwick and Jermaine Easter supporting Aaron Wilbraham.
Swindon boss Wilson opts against wholesale changes following the 4-0 home humiliation against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, but does make two alterations to his team. In come defender Sean Morrison to central defence and striker Vincent Pericard - scorer of two goals for Carlisle at stadiummk earlier this season - and out go Gordon Greer and 13-goal front-man Charlie Austin.
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.
SWINDON TOWN: David Lucas, Scott Cuthbert, Alan Sheehan, Jonathan Douglas, Vincent Pericard, Jon-Paul McGovern, Sean Morrison, Kevin Amankwaah, Billy Paynter, Daniel Ward, Simon Ferry.
SUBS: Gordon Greer, Craig Easton, Michael Timlin, Matt Ritchie, Phil Smith, Lescinel Jean-Francois, Charlie Austin.
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Paul Ince sticks with the Dons side that started the win over Leyton Orient on Saturday. |
7.25pm - It's another huge game for MK Dons at stadiummk tonight as they host fifth-placed Swindon in Coca-Cola League 1. As one of the sides they are desperately chasing to force themselves into the play-off picture, it's a game the Dons really need to win to keep themselves in the top-six hunt.
In their two meetings with the Robins so far this season they've been beaten heavily here in the League Cup and dominated a goalless draw at the County Ground. A lot has changed for both sides since then but Swindon, managed by former Dons boss Danny Wilson, are the better off by eight points.
The Dons would love to eat into that tonight, rubbing salt into Robins wounds opened by their 4-0 home defeat to Bristol Rovers on Saturday.
It should be a cracking game, and we'll have it all on MK Dons Player and Clockwatch from 7.45pm.
