Cambridge United take another step closer towards Sky Bet League One relegation with defeat at fellow strugglers MK Dons
There may still be 10 matches left to play this season, yet Cambridge United’s 1-0 defeat MK Dons this afternoon has significantly heightened the prospect of Sky Bet League Two football being played at the Abbey Stadium next season.
The U’s have faced two of the sides that currently accompany them in the relegation zone over recent days and all they have to show for it is a measly point. To further highlight the disappointment of those results, Tuesday’s opponents Morecambe arrived with Sky Bet League One’s worst away record and claimed a point, while prior to kick off the Dons had collected the least amount of points at home all campaign. They had also not won on their patch at 3pm on a Saturday since April of last year.
It means the gap to safety has extended to five points and the team currently with their head just above water – fifth-from-bottom Accrington Stanley – also have two games in hand.
It was a predictably tense and nervy first half at Stadium MK with both of these struggling sides reluctant to launch any sort of forceful press inside the opposition’s half for fear of being picked off and counter-attacked on.
That was a leading reason as to why clear goalscoring openings were at a premium, although United did carve one out in the 13th minute. Shilow Tracey – given the nod ahead of Joe Ironside in attack – was first to a loose ball and his prodded pass set Jack Lankester clear. However, he lacked the pace to keep a retreating Tennai Watson at bay and while he still managed to get a shot away, the angle had been significantly narrowed and Jamie Cumming made the save.
Lankester did manage to get the better of Cumming in the 32nd minute, but his celebrations were cut short by the referee assistant’s flag. It was a real team goal, one that started with goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov playing the ball out to left wing-back James Brophy, who in turn picked out Paul Digby midway inside his own half. The captain’s forward pass found Tracey and he accelerated the move, driving into MK Dons territory and finding Lankester wide on the left, from where he cut inside and curled inside the far post. However, up went the flag, with an offside Sam Smith adjudged to have been in the eyeline of a diving Cumming.
And within three minutes United were hit by a second sucker punch. Home forward Conor Grant won a free kick 25 yards out from goal and Mo Eisa’s curling effort flew into the top left hand corner, leaving Mitov no chance.
Perhaps feeling a sense of injustice towards the disallowed goal, United started the second half with a bit more attacking purpose as Conor McGrandles saw his free kick from a similar position to Eisa’s drift over, Smith had a header that lacked power and was collected by Cumming before Tracey’s well-struck effort was bravely blocked inside a crowded box.
With the visitors having to play slightly higher up the pitch, it also provided more joy for the Dons. In the 57th minute Eisa’s low goalbound effort was deflected behind by Michael Morrison’s sliding challenge and then in their next attack Daniel Harvie’s side foot volley went just over.
United boss Mark Bonner then made all five of his substitutions in quick succession, and in doing so went from three at the back to four. And it was the two centre-backs that combined in the 73rd for their best chance of the second half. Dons failed to clear Liam O’Neil’s right-wing corner and Lloyd Jones drifted in a cross for Morrison, who planted his downward header from close range straight at Cumming.
After that the game seemed to drift away from United. Granted they had more of the possession as the home side looked to protect what they had got – something they managed to do with minimal fuss as Bonner’s side failed to score for a fifth league away encounter in a row.
MK Dons: Cumming, Watson, Tucker, Lewington (Lawrence 66’), Harvie, Maghoma, Devoy (McEachran 66’), Kaikai, Eisa (Dean 77’), Holland (Grigg 61’), Grant (Johnson 77’)
Cambridge United: Mitov, Morrison, R Bennett (Seddon 70’), Jones, Brophy, L Bennett (Williams 70’), Digby, McGrandles (Knibbs 59’), Lankester (O’Neil 59’), Tracey (Ironside 59’), Smith
Attendance: 11,298