Agard’s winning strike cruel on Curle

PAUL Tisdale reckons that MK Dons’ defensive backbone was the springboard that helped them fly into the top three of the table.

Kieran Agard’s first-half strike proved enough for the Dons to overcome Keith Curle’s Northampton Town, who proved a tough nut to crack at Stadium MK.

While admitting some frustration that his troops’ showing made for a nervy afternoon, manager Tisdale was particularly thrilled with the application the Dons showed to keep the Cobblers at bay.

“We started the season with a few topics on our agenda and one of them was toughening up our back line,” said Tisdale.

“It’s about clarity, understanding the value of a clean sheet and strong, decisive defending. You have to enjoy defending and they do enjoy it.

“I just wish we could have scored a second and that would have put me and my team out of our misery.

“Fair play to Northampton though because they have turned their form on its head and they look like a really gutsy team now.

“They gave us a challenge, but I think we just about deserved it.”

In the final minute of the first period, Agard cracked home after Jordan Moore-Taylor had headed on a corner.

But Northampton fought back after the break, Billy Waters holding the key to a number of visiting attacks.

The Cobblers then had David Cornell to thank for a wonderful save from Joe Walsh while a goal-saving challenge from Jordan Turnbull kept the score at 1-0 just moments later.

Agard thought he had his second, only to be called back for a foul, while Northampton sub Daniel Powell was thwarted by Lee Nicholls after being played in by Kevin van Veen.

Rhys Healey then smashed the bar for the hosts with a volley before Chuks Aneke headed over. The Dons hung on despite two dangerous crosses late on from van Veen.

Northampton boss Curle was far from downhearted. He said: “I’m frustrated, but there are some positives we can take.

“We showed, in the second half, that we can upset teams and I thought we deserved a goal for our effort and endeavour.”