Oxford United 0-1 MK Dons - Relive the game as it happened

MK Dons Matchday Live - Oxford United
MK Dons Matchday Live - Oxford United

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A look at the Kassam Stadium

MK Dons team news

TEN changes to the side tonight for MK Dons as Graham Alexander makes wholesale changes to his side for the EFL Trophy game with Oxford United. Only Warren O’Hora keeps his spot as Michael Kelly, Joe Tomlinson, Jack Payne and Ellis Harrison are handed their first starts, while MJ Williams returns to the side again after several weeks out of the side.

Team: Kelly, Lewington, O’Hora, Stewart, Ilunga, Tomlinson, Grant, Williams, Payne, Dean, Harrison

Goalkeeper Michael Kelly makes his MK Dons debut tonight
Goalkeeper Michael Kelly makes his MK Dons debut tonight

Subs: MacGillivray, Leko, Gilbey, Harvie, Anker, Scholtz, Tripp

Oxford’s team to face MK Dons

Familiar faces in the Oxford ranks

Two familiar Joshes in the Oxford team tonight.

Murphy was Dons’ Player of the Year during the 2015/16 season, while McEachran departed the club in the summer, reuniting with Liam Manning in charge at the Kassam.

Pre-match odds

Betway: Oxford United vs MK Dons match odds

Former Dons boss Liam Manning signed former Dons midfielder Josh McEachran for Oxford in the summer
Former Dons boss Liam Manning signed former Dons midfielder Josh McEachran for Oxford in the summer

Oxford United - 8/13

Draw - 3/1

MK Dons - 7/2

Elsewhere in football

Former Dons keeper David Martin has signed for Southend

Dean Lewington goes into Alan Young’s book at the Kassam Stadium
Dean Lewington goes into Alan Young’s book at the Kassam Stadium

Kick-off

Dons get the game underway

3 mins: Stewart gets lucky

Ooooh lucky boy, Anthony Stewart. He looked dangerously close to being the last man there as he gets turned by Mark Harris, and the on loan Aberdeen man pulls him down and only gets a booking.

6 mins: Corner causes a nuisance

Jack Payne’s ball into the mixer causes a bit of chaos, Jordan Thorniley gets a blow to the head though as Oxford initially struggled to clear.

8 mins: Oxford head over

Dangerous cross from Greg Leigh on the Oxford left picks out a late run from Tyler Goodrham at the far post, but he can’t direct his header and it goes over the top.

Entertaining game, so far

16 mins: Dons looking decent so far

A handful of chances coming Dons’ way in the last few minutes. Conor Grant has started really brightly, and nearly danced his way through the Oxford defence but rather than going it alone, he looked to slide in Jack Payne but the Charlton loanee couldn’t take it in his stride.

He then got another bite though did Payne but his strike was gathered above the head of keeper Simon Eastwood.

23 mins: Important deflection

Ooooh Lewington just gets a touch on Goodrham’s strike to spin it just past the post, with Kelly rooted to the spot. Should be 1-0

25 mins: Dean sees the stars

To our left here is Hollywood Bowl, but it was Max Dean who spotted his name in lights there as, 30 yards from goal, he chances his arm and unleashes an ambitious strike which flies harmlessly wide

34 mins: Dean forces a save

Oxford guilty of overlaying in the penalty area there (where have we seen that before?) and Jack Payne nips in ahead of Leigh, finds Dean alongside him but the 19-year-old looks to pick his spot in the corner, but Eastwood is a good match for it

37 mins: Dean with another effort

Good chance again for Dean, picked out by Grant after the Irishman beat the Oxford offside trap. But in a similar spot to where he scored against Chelsea U21s, Dean fired well over the bar

40 mins: Tomlinson into the book

Yellow card for the former Posh man as he takes out Greg Leigh down the Oxford left. The defender’s touch took the ball out of play but Tomlinson’s clattering challenge put his side in trouble.

Josh McEachran takes the free-kick on the left of the penalty area but his cross is over everyone’s head and out for a throw on the far side

43 mins: Dangerous spot again for Oxford

O’Hora with the foul on the edge of the box, about a yard outside of it in fact. McEachran and Smith over this one for the U’s.

Smith takes it, it’s up and over the wall, clips the top of the bar!

As the sides reset for the goal-kick, Lewington is booked for mouthing off at the referee

45 mins: Into stoppage time

Three minutes to be added.

OH Ilunga ses his strike deflected wide, and from the corner, Tomlinson’s strike has all the fizz taken out of it as it bounces just wide

HALF TIME: Oxford United 0-0 MK Dons

Not many great chances but an entertaining game all the same. Smyth clipped the bar, Goodrham with a chance deflected just wide, and three great opportunities for Max Dean at the other end.

A decent half of football here.

In the picture: Dean Lewington

I wonder how many times the skipper has gone into the book for giving some lip to a referee?