DOWNED DONS NO MATCH FOR IRON
ADECADE on from securing the League Two title under Paul Ince in 2008, MK Dons’ inevitable return to the fourth tier was confirmed after they suffered their sixth straight defeat to promotion hopefuls Scunthorpe who retained their grasp on the final play-off spot.
Rory McArdle netted his first goal for the Iron before Ivan Toney added a second as Nick Daws’ side kept the gap between themselves and seventh-placed Plymouth to just two points, as the two sides prepare to face each other in crucial six-pointer on Tuesday night.
MK’s caretaker boss Keith Millen took over after Dan Micciche was given the boot last week, and the former Crystal Palace assistant had never been relegated as a coach or manager until this weekend – but insisted the club will bounce back.
“I know this club will be OK because there’s good people here and a chairman who has a lot of passion about the place,” he said.
“Everything is here to improve and this has to be as low as it gets now, but 100 percent the club will learn from this and be better for it.
“I’ve tried to keep the players going and although we haven’t got the result we haven’t gone down with a whimper.
“I would have loved to have applauded the fans at the end with a victory but that would have perhaps masked the real problems at the club.” After a flat opening period the visitors took the lead inside 20 minutes through captain McArdle’s glancing header when he met Hakeeb Adelakun’s corner, which left MK keeper Wieger Sietsma all ends up.
Daws’ promotion hopefuls then doubled their lead 15 minutes later when Josh Morris’ cross found Toney, who beat his marker to head emphatically past Sietsma to net his seventh Scunthorpe goal this season.
The home side barely threatened Iron stopper Matt Gilks all afternoon, but the introduction of Kieran Agard and Robbie Muirhead in the second period did breathe a little life into the Dons, but nothing could prevent Millen’s side from the inevitable.
Scunthorphe, meanwhile prepare for their biggest game of the season against Plymouth.
“All we can do now is control our own performances,” said Daws, after three straight wins in the league heading into Tuesday’s promotion six-pointer against Plymouth, who picked up a last minute winner against Rotherham.
“In the last five games we’ve done well so we just have to continue doing that and hopefully we’ll achieve what we want to achieve.
“We should be full of confidence and we’re in a great place in the moment because we have been on a great bit of form, especially away from home but my overriding thoughts are one of pride for everyone at the football club.”