SKY BET LEAGUE 2      
Saturday October 20th, 3.00pm      
Stadium:MK

MILTON KEYNES DONS 1
Kieran Agard 44

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0

Attendance: 9,618 (2,186 Cobblers fans)

MK Dons: Lee Nicholls, George Williams, Dean Lewington, Joe Walsh, Alex Gilbey, Chuks Aneke, Kieran Agard, Jordan Moore-Taylor, Jordan Houghton, Baily Cargill, Rhys Healey (sub Ryan Watson 90)
Subs not used: Stuart Moore, Mitch Hancox, Robbie Simpson, Lawson D’Ath, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Callum Brittain  

Cobblers: David Cornell, Billy Waters (sub Daniel Powell 75), Hakeem Odoffin, Jordan Turnbull, Aaron Pierre, David Buchanan (sub Shaun McWilliams 58), Sam Foley, John-Joe O’Toole, Kevin van Veen, Andy Williams (sub Jack Bridge 58), Sam Hoskins
Subs not used: Lewis Ward, Joe Iaciofano, Jay Williams, Sean Whaler   

Referee: Brett Huxtable

Booked:
MK Dons: Kieran Agard (71), Baily Cargill (84)
Cobblers: Shaun McWilliams (63, 1st of the season), Jordan Turnbull (70, 1st), Sam Hoskins (73, 4th), Hakeem Odoffin (79, 1st), Sam Foley (90, 1st)

5 cautions on or before 19 games; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 32 games; 2 match suspension       
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
MK Dons: none      
Cobblers: none

Sendings off: 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.

Kevin van Veen and Hakeem Odoffin replaced Matt Crooks and Shay Facey as the Cobblers made the short trip to Stadium:MK looking to build on back-to-back wins and extend their four-match unbeaten run. Crooks was ineligible after picking up his fifth booking of the season to incur a one-match ban while Facey joined Ash Taylor, Leon Barnett, Dean Bowditch and Junior Morias on the sidelines. Joe Iaciofano joined Jay Williams and Sean Whaler on a youthful looking substitutes bench.

Rhys Healey had the ball in the back of the net for the hosts inside two minutes but the off-side flag was already up. Sam Foley and Sam Hoskins both saw shots saved by ex-Cobblers goalkeeper Lee Nicholls in a lively start from two in-form sides.

Nicholls again saved from Hoskins on 21 minutes with van Veen also having an effort blocked. MK Dons were posing a threat on the counter-attack but the Cobblers nearly took the lead from a counter-attack of their own when Andy Williams played in Hoskins, Nicholls down well to his left to make the save.

Kieran Agard fired just wide for the Dons and David Cornell made a fairly routine save to keep out a Chuks Aneke header in a couple of half chances for the home side. Cornell then had to be at his best to tip over a shot from Aneke with the Cobblers appealing for a foul on Billy Waters in the build-up.

MK Dons took the lead just before half-time, Kieran Agard getting the final touch from a corner to prod the ball home via a couple of deflections, the goal given despite some protestations from Cornell.

Alex Gilbey fired a shot just wide as the home side looked to double their lead in the second half before Shaun McWilliams and Jack Bridge came on for David Buchanan and Andy Williams, McWilliams taking the captain’s armband.

A top class save from Cornell prevented Joe Walsh making it 2-0 and the Cobblers survived moments later when the Dons failed to finish from close range after Cornell could only parry a shot from distance. Odoffin was in the right place at the right time to turn behind a shot from Healey and although Agard thought he had his second goal of the afternoon from the subsequent corner his effort was ruled out for an obvious push on Aaron Pierre.

Daniel Powell, on for Billy Waters, had a chance to equalise when played through by van Veen but one-on-one with Nicholls the Dons keeper got a touch to turn the ball behind. The Cobblers were still in the game but were nearly undone when Healey rattled the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the area.

Odoffin had a shot blocked and Sam Foley headed onto the roof of the net as the Cobblers pressed hard for an equaliser. It wasn’t to be though and despite their best efforts the unbeaten run under Keith Curle came to an end.

MK DONS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)     
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 9  
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 9
CORNERS: (5) 9           
FOULS: (3) 11        
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 3  

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)      
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 6 
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 8
CORNERS: (2) 7 
FOULS: (8) 18 
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0