JOHNSTONE'S PAINT TROPHY
Tuesday November 10th, 7pm
stadium:mk

MILTON KEYNES DONS 3
Aaron Wilbraham 6, Sam Baldock 16 and 26 pen

Attendance: 8,886 (2,245 Cobblers fans)

MK Dons: Willy Gueret, David McCracken, Aaron Wilbraham, Sam Baldock, Mark Carrington, Lewis Gobern (sub Peter Leven 70), Jason Puncheon, Sol Davis, Luke Howell, Darren Powell (sub Jabo Ibehre 77), Luke Chadwick (sub Jermaine Easter 71). Subs not used: Stephen Gleeson, Dean Morgan.

Cobblers: Chris Dunn, Craig Hinton, Paul Rodgers, Patrick Kanyuka (sub Chris McCready 26), Dean Beckwith (sub Michael Jacobs 68), Liam Davis, Luke Guttridge, Ryan Gilligan, Andy Holt, Steve Guinan (sub Adebayo Akinfenwa 67), Gary Mulligan. Subs not used: Simon Brown, Alex Dyer.

Referee: Mr K Wright

Booked:
MK Dons: Lewis Gobern (63), Darren Powell (74), David McCracken (87)
Cobblers: Chris Dunn (23, 1st of the season), Paul Rodgers (40, 3rd) 

5 cautions on or before 28 February; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
MK Dons: none
Cobblers: none

Sending offs: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.

Ian Sampson handed a debut to Patrick Kanyuka as Northampton Town made the short trip to Milton Keynes Dons in the area quarter finals of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Liam Davis and Gary Mulligan were also named in the starting XI with Adebayo Akinfenwa, John Curtis and John Johnson making way.

On a misty, murky evening, the Dons had the lead in the 6th minute. A cross from Lewis Gobern was well controlled by Aaron Wilbraham and he showed great technique before volleying past Chris Dunn.

The Cobblers forced an early corner as they looked to respond, but the Dons cleared the danger and broke with a number of forward players and only a last ditch clearance from Paul Rodgers denied Luke Chadwick as he looked to poke the ball past Chris Dunn. The Cobblers keeper was then required to save well from Sol Davis.

Home keeper Willy Gueret was sold short by a 15th minute back pass from Darren Powell, the Dons keeper clearing the ball away in the nick of time from Gary Mulligan. The rebound fell to Steve Guinan but he could not find the height required to beat the recovering keeper and the danger was averted.

Sam Baldock doubled the lead on 16 minutes, latching on to a long ball and with no offside flag forthcoming he had the time and space to beat Dunn.

Dunn was booked as the Dons were awarded a penalty on 23 minutes. The Cobblers keeper came out close to the edge of his area to contest a bouncing ball with Sam Baldock and seemed to take out Patrick Kanyuka more than the Dons striker, but a spot kick was nonetheless awarded. Kanyuka, who had received lengthy treatment outside of the penalty area which questioned whether the incident was inside the 18 yard box or not, left the field on a stretcher, and was replaced by Chris McCready. Baldock scored the penalty.

Liam Davis had a 20 yard free kick deflected just wide, before Paul Rodgers was booked for a trip on Lewis Gobern.

Davis forced a good low save out of Gueret in the opening exchanges of the second half, but Steve Guinan threw the Cobblers a lifeline moments later, heading in a deep Luke Guttridge free kick.

Lewis Gobern was cautioned after a foul on Holt, before Ian Sampson made a double change with Adebayo Akinfenwa and Michael Jacobs replacing Guinan and Dean Beckwith. The Dons made two substitutions of their own - Peter Leven and Jermaine Easter on for Luke Chadwick and Lewis Gobern.

The referee stopped play to book Darren Powell when the Cobblers were two on one had he played advantage, Guttridge curling the free kick over the bar.

Jabo Ibehre came on for Powell in the final change of the game, before David McCracken was booked for holding back Jacobs.

McCready volleyed over from a corner, but despite a spirited second half performance, there was to be no dramatic comeback from the Cobblers.

MK DONS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (2) 2
CORNERS: (1) 3
FOULS: (6) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 4

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 3
CORNERS: (3) 5
FOULS: (11) 20
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2

The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.

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