Hot-shot Agard is saviour for Dons
KIERAN Agard’s 17th goal of the season saw MK Dons stretch their winning league run to four games, but boss Paul Tisdale admitted his side did not deserve the victory over Crawley.
Agard raced on to a long clearance, rounded the keeper and tapped home in the 40th minute.
But Crawley side had their chances, with George Francomb hitting the bar and Ollie Palmer’s header well saved.
Tisdale, whose side sit fourth, admitted they rode their luck.
“I am actually really pleased with the way we scored that goal because it was scrappy. We do not score many of those.
“I have to be honest and say that Crawley played really well – they were free and played some really good football and we instantly knew we would be in for a tough game.
“But we did well too to restrict them to few chances in the second half. With each game we have to be adaptable and flexible – but we got over the line so it is on to the next one.”
Gabriele Cioffi’s side started brightly and were unlucky not to take the lead inside three minutes when Francomb’s right-footed strike from the edge of the MK box had Dons keeper Stuart Moore beaten, before the ball cannoned agonisingly off the crossbar and away from danger.
Tisdale’s men found the opener after 40 minutes when Crawley defender Dannie Bulman mistakenly ducked Moore’s long ball forward, only for Agard to latch onto the loose ball and round Reds goalkeeper Glenn Morris, before tapping home into an empty net.
Crawley should have levelled midway through the second period when Palmer’s header was well saved by Moore.
And despite throwing bodies into the Dons box late on, the Reds couldn’t prevent a fifth straight league game without a win and remain 18th. Cioffi could not hide his frustration.
“We deserved to win and one point would have been the minimum we deserved, but that is football and that is the beauty of the game,” he said.
“I am proud because we have shown that we are solid and have a good football idea and are able to find a solution when under pressure.
He added: “The players have done everything I have asked of them – it is a bitter test for us.”