Glovers 0 MK Dons 2 – Report

The Glovers weren’t able to upset MK Dons, like we had another promotion chasing SkyBet League 1 side Peterborough United recently, as we slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Huish Park.

If we had kept 11 men on the field for the entire 90 minutes then who knows, perhaps we could have won this late on as we did that Peterborough game with us looking good to take at least a point anyway.

Gary Johnson decided to bring in Manchester City loanee Jordi Hiwula for his debut and he could have scored a debut goal to give us the lead but he headed wide a cross from the fit again James Hayter.

Hiwula, obviously talented but still raw, could learn a lot from Hayter.

Ben Reeves had a freekick that was curled just wise as he went the closest for MK Dons in the first half.

If we thought the first half chance that Hiwula had was good then another early in the second half was almost gift wrapped. We can’t afford to miss these chances and as much as it’s good that Hiwula got in this position he showed a lack of composure as he wildly smashed his effort over.

The chances kept coming with Hayter the next to have one but his effort was well saved by Dave Martin.

The turning point came when Ben Nugent saw red 20 minutes into the second half. An earlier yellow card for handball was followed up by a second yellow, which meant red, when the Cardiff City loanee hacked down Will Gregg.

Within minutes of the red card MK Dons had taken the lead.

That man Grigg showed us how you finish, as when he got in behind our defence he demonstrated clinical level of finishing that is needed as he beat Jake Kean as he raced clear.

A goal and a man down it was always going to be difficult for us to get back into the game.

We couldn’t manage this and to make sure that this wasn’t going to be possible Daniel Powell secured the points as he curled home with a little over five minutes to go.

How often are we left reflecting on missed chances? Hiwula showed he can get into the positions but we need him, and others, to take them and also can’t afford to finish games against teams like MK Dons with 10 men.