Alli wonder strike helps MK Dons to victory over Coventry
MK Dons move to within 3 points of the play offs after a stunning strike from Dele Alli, and a second half goal from substitute Izale McLeod was enough to see off Coventry City, who could have taken a point away from the game however Baker’s penalty was saved by Martin.
There was little to separate the two sides in the first half, and the Dons were dealt with a huge blow when Dean Bowditch limped off injured after 12 minutes. Murphy made a diving save to deny Alli’s speculative effort, and it looked as if both teams would be going in at half time on level terms. However, following a Dons corner, the ball found its way out to 17 year old Dele Alli, who hit a stunning first time volley which flew into the top corner to give his side the lead.
Coventry needed a reaction in the second half, and they nearly found one straight away when the impressive Marshall was denied by Martin. The winger was then at it again when his tricky run eventually found Baker, who hit a sweet strike into the far corner to equalise for City. MK Dons subbed on striker McLeod, who made an impact straight away when he latched onto Rasulo’s pass and cheekily lobbed Murphy to again give the Dons the lead. Coventry had a golden chance to draw level when the referee awarded a penalty following Kay’s foul on Baker, however he couldn’t double his tally when his penalty was brilliantly saved by Martin.
The Dons held out to claim their first win in 4 games, leaving them 3 points a drift of the play offs. Coventry drop down one place to 14th.
Coventry City:
| Murphy Made a good save to deny Alli in the first half, but was caught off his line by McLeod for the Dons’ winner. | 6.5 |
| Clarke Linked up with Baker in attack and defended well against Powell. | 7 |
| Webster Kept Loveridge quiet all first half but allowed McLeod through to score too easily. | 6 |
| Seabourne Was solid in the air and made little mistakes. | 7 |
| Willis Started the game off well however was left chasing Kennedy on a few occasions. | 6.5 |
| Baker Came into life second half with a brilliant finish to level the game. However the penalty miss proved costly. | 7 |
| Fleck Was impressive on the ball and played some clever through balls. | 7 |
| Prutton Allowed Alli too much space in central midfield, was eventually subbed. |
6 |
| Marshall By far Coventry’s best player all game, troubled the Dons’ defence with his pace and two footed ability, played a big part in Baker’s goal. | 8 |
| Wilson Got in behind the defence on a few occasions however wasted his chances when he got them and was ineffective second half. Booked. | 6 |
| Eccleston Offered little to his side all game and wasted a good chance at 1-1. | 5.5 |
Subs:
| McGeouch Came on for the injured Marshall. Couldn’t make an impact on the game. | 6 |
| Delfouneso Showed good movement and looked sharper than both Eccleston and Wilson. | 6.5 |
| Robinson Came on late and couldn’t make an impact with the short time he had. | 6 |
Milton Keynes Dons:
| Martin Looked solid all game, collected crosses well, commanded his area and made a brilliant penalty save. | 8 |
| Baldock Struggled against the tricky Marshall, was caught out for the goal. | 6 |
| Spence Had another good game, defended against the two strikers with ease. | 7 |
| Kay Again very good in the air, however gave away the penalty for a foul on Baker. | 7 |
| Lewington Never put a foot wrong, linked up well with attack. | 7 |
| Powell At times looked dangerous, but just didn’t show enough of it. | 6.5 |
| Alli Scored one of the goals of the season, and again was quality in midfield. | 8 |
| Smith Held the midfield well allowing Alli to push on in attack, made a vital block at 1-1 . |
7 |
| Kennedy Was much improved from last week. Showed both pace and skill and was a threat to the Coventry defence. | 7.5 |
| Bowditch Injured after 10 minutes. | N/A |
| Loveridge Again just didn’t cause a threat, unable to hold the ball up or create any chances. Subbed. | 5.5 |
Subs:
| Rasulo Came on for Bowditch early on, played some clever passes and helped out in defence, provided the assist for McLeod with a brilliant through ball. | 7.5 |
| McLeod Scored after less than a minute of coming on, was much more of a threat than Loveridge with his pace and power. | 7 |
| Randall Looked good when he came for the first time this season and made some good passes, settled into the game straight away. | 7 |
Man of the Match
David Martin: MK Dons. A close one between Dele Alli, David Martin, and Mark Marshall, but I gave it to Martin as his penalty save ultimately won MK Dons the match. Commanded his area well, was solid and could do nothing about Baker’s goal.
