[Archived] Match Report: Milton Keynes Dons 3 - 0 Blackburn Rovers

[Kamy100]

Parsonblue's match report from the MK Dons v Rovers match:

Milton Keynes Dons 3 v 0 Blackburn Rovers

Milton Keynes Dons (1) 3

Reeves (penalty) 11, Church 71, Reeve 89

David Martin; Jordan Spence, Kyle McFadzean, Antony Kay, Dean Lewington; Jake Forster-Caskey, Diego Poyet; Rob Hall (Carl Baker 63), Ben Reeves, Josh Murphy (Samir Carruthers 86); Simon Church (Nicky Maynard 77).

Subs not used: Charlie Burns (gk), Lee Hodson, Sam Gallagher, Daniel Powell.

Manager: Karl Robinson

Blackburn Rovers (0) 0

Jason Steele; Adam Henley (sent off 9), Shane Duffy, Grant Hanley, Marcus Olsson (Tommy Spurr 86); Ben Marshall, Corry Evans (Lee Williamson 68), Hope Akpan (Nathan Delfouneso 68), Craig Conway; Tom Lawrence; Jordan Rhodes.

Subs not used: David Raya (gk), Matt Kilgallon, John O’Sullivan, Chris Taylor.

Manager: Gary Bowyer

Referee: Mr. J. Linington

Bookings: MK Dons – Diego Poyet, Rob Hall

Blackburn Rovers – Hope Akpan, Ben Marshall

Sending off: Blackburn Rovers – Adam Henley

Attendance: 11,548

The Rovers faced an uphill task from the tenth minute of this encounter – being reduced to ten men and falling behind to a penalty – but to their credit they dominated the opening stages of the second half until a second goal in the seventy-first minute settled the destination of the points.

The Rovers were unchanged for what was only their second visit to the stadiumMK and their first for a League encounter.

The Rovers received an early warning that the home side were not as poor as their League position would suggest when Rob Hall turned Grant Hanley and fired in a shot which Jason Steele did well to turn away for a corner. At the other end David Martin rushed out of his goal to clatter Jordan Rhodes to the ground when the striker looked to break away. Surprisingly, for such a cynical challenge, Mr. Linington failed to produce a yellow card but minutes later he produced a red with a certain amount of indecent haste.

The defining moment of the match came as early as the tenth minute when Mr. Linington awarded a penalty and produced a red card after Adam Henley and Josh Murphy had clashed as the latter entered the penalty area. Henley, in truth, was the architect of his own downfall when he got the wrong side of Murphy and then compounded the error by trying to block the on loan Norwich winger as he entered the area. The fact that Murphy was felled in the area was clear for all to see but less clear was the point at which the contact was first made. Of course, football continues to dwell in the dark ages and turns its back on the type of technology which so many other sports benefit from and so we continue to rely on the guesswork of numerous hapless officials. Hence we have goals punched in with the hand being allowed and “goals” which cross the line being disallowed. In a multi-million pound sport it is embarrassing that such basic mistakes are allowed to determine the outcome of games.

With the spot kick being given, Ben Reeves stepped up and made no mistake as he sent Steele the wrong way and calmly slotted the ball home.

Bowyer made the necessary tactical changes following the dismissal of Henley which meant that Ben Marshall went to right-back whilst Tom Lawrence moved over to the right flank with Rhodes being asked to plough a lone furrow up front.

The Rovers took time to adjust to the changes and the home side tried to take full advantage of the extra man and only a deflection off Shane Duffy prevented Murphy from increasing the lead.

However, although MK Dons were closing down and harrying the Rovers when in possession chances were restricted as the Rovers began to get back into the game. Indeed, they might have been level if the officials had taken action when the arm of Anthony Kay clearly felled Rhodes in the penalty area. Inexplicably, neither the linesman nor the referee saw anything although it was a clear foul in the penalty area but, sadly, that seems to be the way the Rovers luck seems destined to go this season.

On twenty-two minutes Marcus Olsson lofted a ball into the box which Martin claimed with supreme confidence and then Lawrence was felled by Hall, who was rightly booked, as he looked to make inroads in the opposition half.

The Rovers were struggling to get to grips with Murphy and Marshall was having a torrid time trying to contain him. However, on thirty-seven minutes it was Jake Forster-Caskey who almost doubled the home side’s lead. Set up by Hall, Forster-Caskey fired in a well struck effort which Steele did well to beat away.

A minute later and play switched to the other end when Conway crossed to the far post but the ball was just too high for Rhodes to get sufficient power on his header to trouble Martin and the ball merely glanced off his head and went behind for a goal kick.

The Rovers found themselves in trouble again when Duffy was caught on the ball by Simon Church on the right of the Rovers’ area. Church brushed the centre-back off the ball and then went straight for goal before he curled his shot just wide of the far post. It was yet another individual error which could have proved so costly.

As the half drew to a close a shot from Murphy was deflected safely into the arms of Steele and the Rovers left the pitch having survived unscathed after playing all but ten minutes with ten men. Whilst there might have been little attacking intent to enthuse about the players had succeeded in staying in the game.

The second half brought a more spirited response from the Rovers in an attacking sense. Within the opening minutes, following good work from Hope Akpan, Conway had whipped in a cross into the area which Martin collected.

A superb move down the left, on fifty-eight minutes, involving Olsson and Akpan ended with the ball being pulled back to Conway but his shot was blocked and so too was an effort from Evans when the ball came out to him.

Another incisive move saw Evans find Conway on the left and his inch-perfect cross found the head of Rhodes who powered the ball goalwards only to see Martin make a save at point-blank range to deny him.

Olsson and Akpan again combined well down the left and Akpan cut into the area only for a last ditch tackle to prevent him from getting his shot away. Duffy then met a cross from Conway but although he headed the ball back across the goalmouth there was nobody there to get on the end of it for Rovers.

Conway then tricked his way inside from the wing but his shot was deflected wide of goal for a corner. Before the corner could be taken Bowyer made a double substitution with Evans and Akpan being replaced by Williamson and Delfouneso. Evans, who had missed the previous international with injury was carrying a knock, whilst Akpan was presumably withdrawn having already been booked and with Mr. Linginton’s officiating so erratic the manager clearly didn’t want to risk another red card. Whilst the decision protected the players for future matches it proved to be the turning point in this particular game although the Rovers might well have been on level terms from the corner which had been delayed for the substitutions. When the ball came over Duffy met it with a powerful header which was cleared off the line by Forster-Caskey.

The new central midfield partnership of Williamson and Lawrence had barely time to find their feet before the home side doubled their lead. With the Rovers pressing for an equaliser it was always a danger that they would be caught on the break and so it proved. Murphy, not for the first time, left Marshall in his wake and then found the perfect centre for Church to head home from no more than six yards out.

Murphy then teased Duffy back into his own area before skipping past him with consummate ease but, fortunately, his shot flew just past the far post

Steele kept out a header from Nicky Maynard with a splendid one-handed save but, in truth, the second goal had ended the game as a contest and it came as no surprise when MK Dons added a third goal in the final minutes. The third goal was the result some excellent one-touch play by Carl Baker and Forster-Caskey which enabled Reeves to get in behind the Rovers back line and beat Steele with ease.

Whilst the result was hugely disappointing from the Rovers point of view there were, nonetheless, positives to take from the performance, particularly in the second half. Once again the Rovers were left to question some refereeing decisions which seemed erratic to say the least although it has to be admitted that Henley contributed to his own downfall with some poor positional play. Defensively, the Rovers looked fragile at times with Duffy having a poor game and Marshall completely overwhelmed by the exemplary wing play of Josh Murphy. In midfield the Rovers fought valiantly with Akpan taking the game to the MK Dons after the break and, in truth, once he and Evans departed the Rovers struggled to make any impact. Lawrence operated in three different positions and that seemed to lessen his impact whilst Rhodes as asked to plough a lone furrow up front and struggled at times to get into the game. Steele produced a number of excellent saves whilst Conway was always a threat down the left. However, this was an afternoon to forget for the Rovers as they now prepare for two tough games against two sides who are highly fancied to fill the promotion places come the end of the season.

[tomphil]

A big pat on the back should go to the 1,300+ away fans who've turned out again to see yet another defeat to a side plying their trade a league below last season. It's becoming an annual farce, the Nobbers will be looking forward to their 'gimme' 3 points coming soon.