Last-gasp Lee spoils the day for Dons boss
ONE bad moment robbed Russell Martin of a joyful 90 minutes as Elliot Lee’s stoppage-time leveller saw Oxford United salvage a draw at MK Dons.
Andrew Surman’s first-half opener had looked like giving Dons all three points, but Luton loanee Lee had the final say to leave Dons manager Martin cursing his luck.
“We were the better team. I’m sure their manager will say something else, but we were the better team,” he said.
“We controlled the game, I thought we started really well. Playing this way there are always going to be a few scary moments, but we limited them to very little.
“We should be sitting here talking about the performance and how delighted I am, but I’m angry and disappointed with the goal we conceded so late.
“Too many moments we could have prevented it, but we didn’t, we turned down too many opportunities, so I’m sitting here proud of the performance, but we’ve been let down a really, really poor goal to concede.”
Both sides were sloppy in possession but the home side got the opener when Surman placed a low curling effort into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area after some neat build-up play.
Spurred on by the deficit, Karl Robinson’s side had all the possession, creating plenty of opportunities, but never getting the clearest of chances.
The Dons were able to deal with them easily on each occasion.
The closest Oxford came was a volley from Lee, fired straight at Andrew Fisher from just outside the penalty area.
United stayed on top for most of the second half and their chances became more clear-cut, with Matty Taylor’s strike into the side netting and an Anthony Forde effort that struck the woodwork.
But deep into injury time, Lee got his head onto a knockback from Dan Agyei to rescue a point.
Robinson said: “The luck we have had of late has been difficult to accept, but I’m really pleased with the energy of the players, I’m really pleased with the desire to keep doing the right things.
“We’ve played well here – we didn’t deserve to come away from here with nothing.”
NORTHAMPTON caretaker-manager Jon Brady blamed individual mistakes after seeing his side’s winless run extended to 11 games with defeat at relegation rivals Swindon.
Ryan Watson gave the Cobblers the lead, but Scott Twine’s free-kick and a 70th-minute Brett Pitman header saw Swindon come back to win and leave Northampton bottom of the table.
Brady said: “I thought we dominated the first half without being at our best and we got the goal to go one up
“We gave them strict instructions before the game to stay on their feet and not to give fouls away, particularly in the final third, because Twine is a very good technician and can do what he did.
“We gave away a needless foul on the edge of the box and then I feel (goalkeeper) Mitch can do a lot better with it, in my opinion.
“Our problem at the moment is that we’re giving away individual errors in key moments.”
Northampton took the lead in the 26th minute when Watson’s drilled rightfoot shot proved too hot to handle for debutant Swindon goalkeeper Archie Matthews.
Swindon hit back against the run of play on the stroke of half-time when Jonathan Mitchell failed to keep out Twine’s 25-yard free-kick.
Mikael Miller’s volley 13 minutes into the second half forced a good save from the overworked Matthews as Northampton continued to be the dominant force.
But the visitors were hit with another sucker-punch when Pitman put Swindon in front 20 minutes from time.
Matty Palmer fed Jordan Garrick down the right and his pinpoint cross was nodded neatly beyond Mitchell by the unmarked Pitman.
Twine came close to a third in the 85th minute when his powerful curling effort was parried away by Mitchell.
Swindon assistant-manager Tommy Wright said: “It was a six-pointer. They started both halves better, but the goal just before halftime was vital.
“Every team needs that match-winner, that little bit of quality and it was a very important goal right on half-time.
“We are pleased because it was a vital game so to get the three points was a big plus.”