BALDOCK BACK TO HAUNT MK DONS
SAM Baldock stuck the knife into his old club with two razor-sharp finishes for Bristol City, prompting MK Dons boss Karl Robinson to rue the one that got away.
The 24-year-old striker twice put the Robins ahead on his return to stadium:mk but fine second-half goals from Patrick Bamford and substitute Samir Carruthers maintained the Dons’ unbeaten record.
City skipper Baldock came up against his 20-year-old brother George in the match and although honours were even, it was Sam who claimed the individual bragging rights after his predatory double.
Robinson still keeps in regular contact with Sam, who refused to celebrate either of his goals at the club where he made his name, and he admitted the strikes could have been avoided.
“Sam said to me after the game ‘football is unfair sometimes’ - I think he knows it was two sucker-punches with his goals,” Robinson said.
“But he’s a great kid, he’s one of our own but he’s done us over.
“Obviously Sam is going to get all the plaudits but I’m disappointed with his goals and how we defended them.
“We had 24 hours to put that back-four together but it’s frustrating that our goals have to be wonder-goals and then we gift the opposition goals.”
Aden Flint headed against the post for City before Baldock put them ahead, controlling Bobby Reid’s pass in the box to lash a fine strike into the top corner in the 36th minute. The Dons had plenty of possession in the first half but they struggled to unlock the Robins’ defence, with Bamford firing their best chance into the side-netting from a tight angle.
The home side piled forward after the break and Bamford equalised seven minutes after the restart when he raced onto Luke Chadwick’s pass and drilled a clinical left-foot shot inside the far post.
Baldock restored Bristol City’s lead in the 66th minute when he ran clear onto a long punt and drilled the ball low past David Martin for his fifth goal of the season.
But on-loan Aston Villa winger Carruthers made it it 2-2 just three minutes later, curling an excellent first-time shot into the top corner from substitute Dele Alli’s pass.
Shaun Williams almost won it for the Dons at the death but his curling free-kick was tipped onto the post by City keeper Frank Fielding.
But despite this late scare Robins boss Sean O’Driscoll was annoyed his team failed to claim the three points after twice leading.
He said:“It was frustrating to draw but you only get better when you make mistakes – we were guilty of that at times.
“We worked really hard, defensively we looked more sound than we have in the last two or three games and we are always going to score goals.
“Sam is a goalscorer. If we can keep him fit and keep providing him with chances then he’ll end up being one of the top goal-scorers in the division.” To comment on this match go to http://boards.footymad.net/