MK Dons 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1: Own goals leave Owls with point on travels

MK Dons boss Karl Robinson was sent to the stands as Sheffield Wednesday battled out a hard-fought draw with their promotion rivals at stadium:mk.

Both teams profited from first-half own goals, with Stephen Bywater’s early opener for the Dons cancelled out by Gary MacKenzie’s leveller for the Owls.

Robinson was sent off by referee James Linnington seven minutes from the end for an altercation with Reda Johnson on the touchline that left the Wednesday full-back floored.

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Milton Keynes dominated early on with some slick passing football and Dean Bowditch fired their first warning shot after six minutes, blasting a half-volley straight at Bywater from the edge of the box.

But the Dons needed a big slice of luck to take the lead on the quarter-of-an-hour mark after the Wednesday defence had been caught napping from a quick free-kick.

Dean Lewington found Luke Chadwick in yards of space and his 25-yard drive struck the underside of the crossbar and rebounded into the net off the unfortunate Bywater.

Wednesday began to trouble the Dons with a more direct approach and their efforts were rewarded when they equalised after 27 minutes from another own goal.

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Dons goalkeeper David Martin flapped at Chris Sedgwick’s cross and centre-back MacKenzie inadvertently bundled the ball into his own net under pressure from Gary Madine and Miguel Angel Llera.

The Owls burst out of the blocks after the break and Reda Johnson twice went close with headers from Sedgwick corners, the first cleared off the goal-line by Chadwick and the second flying just over the bar.

David Prutton then lashed a 25-yard drive wide before Chris O’Grady fired just wide after a neat turn in the Dons’ box.

Wednesday boss Gary Megson threw on new loan signing John Bostock on the hour-mark and his inswinging corner was volleyed over the bar by O’Grady, who then nodded over Jermaine Johnson’s cross from close range.

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The Dons failed to create a single chance in the second half despite the introduction of new signing Alan Smith on loan from Newcastle, before Robinson was given his marching orders late on for intervening in an altercation between Johnson and Stephen Gleeson.

MK Dons: Martin; Chicksen (Smith 51), MacKenzie, Flanagan, Lewington (c); Gleeson, Williams; Bowditch, Chadwick, O’Shea (Powell 82); MacDonald (Ibehre 68). Unused substitutes: McLoughlin, Baldock.

Sheffield Wednesday: Bywater; Otsemobor, Batth, Llera, R Johnson; Buxton, Prutton, Semedo (c), Sedgwick (Bostock 61); Madine (J Johnson 68), O’Grady (Morrison 84). Unused substitutes: Weaver, Lines.

Referee: J Linnington (Isle of Wight).