Shot down after fantastic fightback

Checkatrade Trophy games are not supposed to be this much fun. Six goals were shared before hosts MK Dons won a decent penalty shootout to take an extra point in this group stage contest.

But it was Posh manager Steve Evans who looked like he’d won the lottery at the end of a breathless second period. His side had battled back from 3-0 down to force a draw and missed several chances to score further goals, but the result is not the be all and end all in this competition.

Evans was thrilled by his side’s fighting spirit and by the quality of their play once substitute Jamie Walker had been introduced at half-time for his debut.

Walker looked a class apart as he scored a fine goal, struck the inside of a post with a venomous 25-yard drive and played in fellow replacement Matt Godden for a shot at a dramatic winner with virtually the last kick of the match.

“Outstanding,” purred Evans about his team and Walker. “We should have won 12-5 on chances created.”

Exaggeration comes easily to Evans, but he wasn’t far off with his suggestion.

Ivan Toney spoilt a strong battling display by missing three sitters, while the ball often ricocheted around the MK penalty area without falling to a blue shirt.

Posh had plenty of chances in the first half as MK raced into a 3-0 lead, helped by some weak defending.

George Cooper’s great free-kick started a comeback that was completed late on, first by Walker’s instinctive strike and then by Godden’s close-range tap-in.

And so to a penalty shootout to determine the destination of an extra point and no-one failed until Alex Woodyard saw his shot saved leaving Sam Nombe to win the day for MK.

That was a shame for Woodyard who was pressed into action in a muchchanged side thanks to an early injury to Callum Cooke and performed splendidly.