Cobblers fail to complete comeback
STEVE GUINAN'S early second half header failed to inspire a Cobblers fightback as they tamely bowed out of the Johnstone's Paint Tropy at stadium:mk.
When the veteran hit man reduced the three goal deficit on 51 minutes it looked like game on but three strikes in the first half an hour of the game condemned Town to defeat.
Aaron Wilbraham and Sam Baldock with two goals were the men on target for the league one high-flyers as Cobblers failed to impress during the opening stages.
Prolific striker Wilbraham put his side early on and his goal was added to by a double strike from Sam Baldock to as Cobblers failed to show any real class against a far superior opponent.
Wilbraham kicked off scoring on six minutes as he took advantage of some loose marking in the away defence to flick home a cross from the right hand side.
The away side looked flustered from the first whistle harking back to the dark days of earlier in the season and their lack of composure was causing real problems.
It looked only a matter of time before Paul Ince's side doubled their lead and Baldock duly obliged after racing clear and easily beating Chris Dunn.
A cricket score didn't look out of the question at this stage and then unbelievably Dunn and debutant Patrick Kanyuka both failed to deal with a long ball, with the keeper flooring Baldock and giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty.
Kanyuka was carried off to complete a horrific debut for the former Swindon man and Mk Dons striker doubled his tally by smashing home the spot kick.
The 1000 or so travelling fans may have made a short journey of 16 miles to get to the game but they would have been wishing they hadn't travelled after seeing their side suffer a collapse of epic proportions.
Ian Sampson obviously had to issue some hairdryer treatment at half-time and it almost paid immediate dividends as Davis cut in from the right and fired a low shot at Gueret who did well to save and grasp the ball as it went loose.
The Dons were inevitably looking a little cocky and they were given a sharp nudge when Luke Guttridge's fine free kick from the right was expertly headed in by Steve Guinan.
Suddenly the travelling fans behind the goal were given renewed hope and they saw their side come close to a second goal as Andy Holt did brilliantly on the left only to see a lack of real presence in the box when it mattered.
MK DONS: Gueret, McCracken, Wilbraham, Baldock, Carrington, Gobern (Leven 80), Puncheon, Davis, Howell, Powell (Ibehre 77), Chadwick (Easter 71). Subs not used: Gleeson, Morgan
COBBLERS: Dunn, Rodgers, Guttridge, Hinton, Beckwith (Jacobs 77), Guinan (Akinfenwa 77), Holt, Gilligan, Mulligan, Davis, Kanyuka (McCready 26) Subs not used: Brown, Dyer
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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