MK Dons 1 Sheffield United 0: Wilson in no mood to let loss leave him downbeat

It was meant as a two fingers salute at the critics who had been suggesting that without Ched Evans’s goals, the Blades would be nothing special.

Following Friday’s events inside Caernarfon Crown Court, however, those seven words have taken on a whole new meaning and ahead of the trip to Milton Keynes Dons there were many questioning just how United would fare without their jailed striker.

The answer, on the evidence of 90 largely disjointed minutes, is not very well as a below par display from Danny Wilson’s Blades allowed the Dons to claim a victory that was much more convincing than the final scoreline suggests.

Not only did Milton Keynes hit the post twice during the second 45 minutes but they also put the Blades under sufficient pressure to ensure that goalkeeper Steve Simonsen had one of his busiest afternoons in months.

Even when down to 10 men following Daniel Powell’s dismissal midway through the second half, the home side continued to create openings against a Blades outfit who looked a pale shadow of the one that had romped to six straight wins before heading down the M1 to take on Karl Robinson’s play-off hopefuls, who are heading for a two-legged semi-final against Huddersfield Town.

The loss, which came courtesy of Alan Smith’s first goal in a little over five years, coupled with Sheffield Wednesday’s dramatic last-gasp win against Carlisle United means just one point separates the Steel City rivals with two games of the season remaining.

United do, though, boast a vastly superior goal difference and manager Wilson still expects his players to see the job through and clinch runners-up spot behind newly-crowned champions Charlton Athletic.

He said: “We can’t lose sight of just how positive things are. For 44 games, we have been very positive and we are not going to throw it away in the last two.

“Sometimes, blips and hiccups happen. But we are in a great position and we have to embrace that.

“At the start of the season, we would have taken this position with two games to go. We would love it to be less nervy but when you are in our position then you don’t expect anything less.

“From the fans’ point of view – and by that I mean both sets of fans – they don’t want to be as anxious as they are.

“But from our point of view, we are still in a good position.”

United are, even allowing for Michail Antonio’s winner for the Owls deep into stoppage time against Carlisle, in a strong position. Six points from Saturday’s home game against Stevenage and the final day trip to relegation-threatened Exeter City will mean the Blades are up, regardless of how the Owls do.

To claim a maximum return, however, Wilson’s side will have to be vastly improved on their efforts at stadium:mk.

Sluggish and sloppy in the first 45 minutes, United did improve after the break to at least put the home goal under some concerted pressure in the closing stages.

They could even have grabbed an equaliser at the death when Michael O’Halloran and James Beattie somehow contrived to miss Matthew Lowton’s inviting drilled cross.

But, even allowing for that attacking flurry, there was no doubt that had Wilson’s men returned north with any form of reward from the afternoon then it would have been fortuitous.

The tone for a disappointing afternoon was set in the early exchanges with it taking just seven minutes for the visitors to require a goalline clearance from Kevin McDonald to keep out the Dons.

It proved only a temporary respite, just nine more minutes having elapsed when Smith’s big moment arrived courtesy of sloppy marking that allowed the loanee to finish from close range after Dean Lewington had headed Shaun Williams’s corner back across the face of goal.

For the former England international, the strike ended a wait of more than five years to find the net – his last goal having come for Manchester United in a 7-1 Champions League hammering of Roma on April 10, 2007.

For the Blades, meanwhile, Smith’s barren run finally coming to an end meant they needed to up their efforts. And fast.

Much to the frustration of the huge numbers who had travelled south in support of their team, it took until after half-time for United to find any form of rhythm – by which time the Yorkshire side were fortunate to still be in the game.

Gary MacKenzie’s header bouncing against the inside of a post and rolling to safety was the first piece of good fortune that benefited the visitors.

It was not to be the last, either, as Smith was only denied a second by Michael Doyle hacking the ball to safety off the line as the former Leeds man’s header looped towards the net. Later, substitute Jabo Ibehre would become the second Dons player to hit the upright with Powell’s dismissal on 67 minutes for a foul on Matthew Hill, his second indiscretion of the game after earlier aiming a kick at Doyle, undoubtedly played a part in United regaining a foothold.

Chris Porter was the first to threaten with a header that David Martin held, just as the Dons goalkeeper did with a volley from Doyle that lacked genuine power.

Lowton then headed wide a decent opportunity before creating what really should have been the equaliser with a drilled cross that O’Halloran and Beattie somehow failed to convert from a yard out.

Moments later, news filtered through of Wednesday’s late winner to ensure the travelling hordes would head home in dejected mood and wondering if their side really can prevail in the heat of a promotion battle without striker Evans.