Doncaster Rovers 0 MK Dons 0: Rovers’ effort and desire pleases Dickov

Doncaster Rovers produced a first clean sheet in six league games and avoided a third consecutive loss to thwart high-flying MK Dons in a goalless stalemate.
Paul DickovPaul Dickov
Paul Dickov

The visitors enjoyed the majority of the possession and went closest to breaking the deadlock .

But Rovers – led superbly by new loan signing Andy Butler – produced a much-improved defensive display and their resilience kept the visitors at bay.

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Harry Forrester went close as the interval approached but placed his shot just wide after a neat interchange with Nathan Tyson.

Doncaster had three shouts for a penalty – two claimed for alleged handling offences – in the second half as they intermittently posed a threat to the visitors’ goal, but all were turned down.

MK Dons went the closest to converting one point into three but saw Tom Flanagan’s half volley cannon back off a post.

Benik Afobe raced through in a hectic finale, but his lob was cleared off the line by Butler, and then Carl Baker was only just off target with a header.

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Rovers struggled to cause Dons’ goalkeeper David Martin any real problems, but he did save from Forrester and then blocked Paul Keegan’s follow-up volley.

Doncaster Rovers’ manager Paul Dickov said: “I’m a little bit disappointed we didn’t win. I thought apart from a five-minute spell at the end of the first half we were by far the better team.

“We changed our shape a little bit. They’re an expansive football team and we stopped them playing. The effort and desire from the players was fantastic.”

Doncaster Rovers: Steer, Wabara, McCullough, Butler, Evina, Bennett, Wellens, Keegan, Forrester, Main (Robinson 62), Tyson. Unused substitutes: Furman, McCombe, Marosi, Wakefield, De Val Fernandez, Whitehouse.

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Milton Keynes Dons: Martin, Spence, Flanagan, Kay, Lewington, Potter, Alli, Carruthers (Baker 71), Reeves (Randall 90), Powell, Grigg (Afobe 68). Unused substitutes: McLoughlin, Hitchcock, Rasulo, Hickford.

Referee: Darren Handley (Lancashire).