Doncaster Rovers scored twice in the second half to come from behind and beat MK Dons at Stadium MK.
Just like they did in the reverse fixture, Donny overturned a one-goal deficit which came courtesy of Ike Ugbo’s 19th-minute.
John Marquis scored both the goals for the visitors, who condemned the Dons to a third-straight defeat and one which leaves them four points adrift of safety in Sky Bet League One.
With Lee Nicholls sidelined through injury, Dan Micciche handed Wieger Sietsma his first league appearance as a Dons player. The Dutchman was one of three changes to the side, with Scott Wotton and Ugbo also coming into the starting XI, while there were also places in the squad for returning loanees Marcus Tavernier and Josh Tymon – both back fit after injury.
In the sunshine at Stadium MK, the Dons started well and some good link-up play saw them win a corner inside the opening five minutes. However, they weren’t able to create a chance of note from Scott Golbourne’s cross.
It was Doncaster who created the first shot of the afternoon – a left-footed drive from Tommy Rowe on six minutes which Sietsma watched wide of his far post.
The Dons responded through Peter Pawlett, who had an initial effort blocked by a defender before he produced a diving save out of Marko Marosi with a curling attempt towards the top right-hand corner. Callum Brittain and Chuks Aneke were both involved in the neat build-up to the chance.
Pawlett was at it again in the 14th minute, beating two players inside the Doncaster box before again being thwarted by Marosi. The Donny stopper’s save resulted in a corner from which Brittain curled a shot over the crossbar from 20-yards out.
On 19 minutes, Micciche’s men capped off their positive start to the game with a goal. Upson showed create awareness to spot George Williams and find him with a cross-field pass. Williams then picked out Aneke, whose neat touch created a one-on-one opportunity for Ugbo, who cooly lifted the ball over the on-rushing Marosi. 1-0.
The goal was nothing less than the Dons deserved and Aneke tried his luck at doubling the advantage with a curling shot which Marosi smothered.
Doncaster then enjoyed a spell of possession but weren’t able to threaten Sietsma aside from a deep in-swinging Alex Kiwomya cross which sailed out for a goal-kick.
The Dons then went close to making it two-nil on the half-hour mark but after Aneke played in Ugbo following a strong run through the middle of the park, the Chelsea loanee saw his goal-bound chip headed off the line by Joe Wright.
They then had to withstand some more pressure from their visitors and breathed a sigh of relief on 35 minutes when Mathieu Baudry completely miscued after pouncing on Elliott Ward’s miss-hit clearance – the midfielder was in acres of space inside the box but his volley flew well off target.
Marquis then had a header deflected wide of goal moments after Aneke had forced Marosi into a save out of Marosi at the other end of the pitch, following a neat flick from Ward who was up-field for a corner. Back-to-back corners later, Rowe glanced a header wide after wriggling free at the near post.
After withstanding the force, the Dons countered and had Williams managed to connect better with Lewington’s cross he could have doubled the lead. So could have Aneke on 40 minutes but his curling attempt was straight at Marosi.
Doncaster had a decent opportunity to pull themselves level in the final minute of the first half but substitute Alfie Beestin volleyed wide of the left up-right after racing onto a pass inside the area.
They had a better chance at the start of the second half and this one time they took advantage. Alex Kiwomya did well to create room for a shot at goal. His effort was saved by Sietsma but the loose ball fell straight to Marquis, who couldn’t miss for the equaliser. 1-1.
A Marosi save prevented Aneke immediately restoring the lead. The forward moved into space on the right-hand side of the penalty but his low driven effort was stopped by the Donny keeper.
An even better opportunity fell the way of Pawlett soon after but, after racing forward and latching onto Ugbo’s pass, he was denied one-on-one by Marosi.
Doncaster raced up-field and Marquis forced Sietsma into a diving save before Beestin struck the woodwork with his follow-up attempt.
The end-to-end play continued and moments later Ugbo saw a shot blocked on its way to goal after being picked out in the centre of the box by Pawlett. The loanee took a touch before trying to double his tally but was denied by some excellent defending.
Micciche’s men were punished for their missed chances in the 64th minute when, after a quick Donny breakaway, Marquis was left alone at the back post and he found the far corner despite Sietsma’s best efforts to keep it out. 1-2.
Brandon Thomas-Asante and Robbie Muirhead were both introduced off the bench, with Lewington and Brittain making away.
With 15 minutes left to play, Williams saw a left-footed shot saved at the near post by Marosi. Aneke then had penalty appeals waved away after tumbling over inside the area before Ugbo headed over from a later Upson free-kick.
Ugbo was replaced by Tavernier on 80 minutes, as Micciche made his final substitution of the game – the Middlesbrough loanee back in action for the first time since mid-February.
Tavernier was straight into the action and, after racing through on goal, looked to have earned his side a penalty on 83 minutes but, despite appearing to be barged over inside the box, referee Nicholas Kinseley waved away the appeals.
The Dons continued to push and in the final minute of regulation time, Pawlett came within an inch of connecting with Muirhead’s cross inside the six-yard box.
They had two penalty shouts turned down in stoppage time as well but it just wasn't to be for Micciche's side.
Starting XI: Sietsma; Wootton, Ward, Lewington (c) (Thomas-Asante 64); Williams, Brittain (Muirhead 71), Upson, Pawlett, Golbourne; Aneke, Ugbo (Tavernier 79).
Unused subs: Jones, Cisse, Agard, Tymon.
Goal: Ugbo (19)
Booked: Pawlett
Attendance: 8,954 (738 away)
Referee: N Kinseley
