A goal in each half saw MK Dons beat Forest Green Rovers 2-0 and move into League 2’s automatic promotion places.
Max Dean and Alex Gilbey struck for Mike Williamson’s Dons as they saw off the challenge of the league’s bottom club at The New Lawn.
With Mansfield suffering a 4-1 loss at home to Crawley Town, it meant that the Dons moved into third place in the table, and in the process moved into an automatic promotion place for the first time since September.
The change in the order comes ahead of a huge meeting between MK Dons and Mansfield next weekend, although Mansfield play a game in hand against Forest Green Rovers in midweek.
Forest Green had arrived off the back of a surprise win at the Dons’ fellow promotion hopefuls Crewe on Easter Monday, and knew they would have to fight for points in their battle to stay in the EFL with a fixture list that also features Mansfield and Wrexham.
With both sides still fighting for points for their respective ambitions, the first half ended up being one of very few opportunities.
The home side curated a few half-chances in the period, but a visiting defence featuring the returning Jack Tucker and Dean Lewington were able to put in blocks when required.
It had looked as though the two teams were going to reach the break on level terms, but with five minutes of the first half outstanding, MK Dons ended up being gifted an opener.
Jack Payne’s cross-field ball had been intercepted by Dominic Thompson, but the Rovers player’s attempted backpass was underhit and fell into Dean’s path. The Dons’ top scorer needed no second invitation, as he duly ran forward and threaded a shot beyond Vicente Reyes to make it four goals in 3 outings.
Sensing a chance to build on this, MK Dons went on the attack after the break, and moments after Reyes denied Gilbey’s long-ranger, Gilbey would extend the away side’s advantage.
Lewis Bate threaded a through-pass to Kyran Lofthouse, who was able to elude the home defensive ranks before teeing up Gilbey. The midfielder duly crashed a strike into the back of the Forest Green goal, and in the process give the Dons a two goal cushion.
The game duly petered out, with Forest Green unable to create many chances to halve the deficit and MK Dons only able to create half-chances in their attempts to find number three.
But three points would go the Dons’ way, as they took advantage of Mansfield’s slip-up to leapfrog the Stags in the table for the next 3 days.
Leave a Reply