Stadium MK, home of Milton Keynes Dons based in Buckinghamshire. Formed in 2004 in controversial fashion. Wimbledon FC couldn’t find a home ground and were relocated to Milton Keynes by then and current Chairman, Pete Winkleman. The “Franchise” is a name they have been given by football fans around the UK but one name they did keep was “Dons” from Wimbledon. 4th May 2019 and what a day this could be! Mansfield the visitors need at least a point to be promoted to League 1 but MK Dons need a win and only a win for the same outcome. Biggest game of the season!
5,200 Mansfield fans making the trip down for this one! The coach journey there was as loud as ever, “YELLOWS!!” A constant noise all the way to Buckinghamshire. A pit stop in Milton Keynes was in order for a few pre-match drinks! Mansfield fans in good spirits for this one, yellow Pyros everywhere creating a yellow mist down the street. I found myself with the flare at one point holding it up in the air for Mansfield. Time was up and now off to the ground.
In we go! £20 to watch this promotion decider! Very nice! Plenty of noise still from the Mansfield faithful! Out come the teams and the volume pumped up to the max! Yellow confetti flying around! This really is a Cup Final for both teams. Kick Off! An early corner for MK Dons, in it comes! David Wheeler unmarked…… He’s scored!! 1-0 to MK Dons! That wasn’t in the script was it? Now Mansfield were the team who had to come again and the travelling fans were shell-shocked including myself. Very few chances followed but on 23 minutes, MK Dons had a throwing, Kieran Agard received the ball and drove into the box, squared to Chuks Aneke…… OFF THE LINE!! Mal Benning was there to clear, so close to 2-0! The first half went on to end 1-0.
Second half, a big 45 minutes needed here from Mansfield and they started well. Jacob Mellis picked up the ball from a header and played the ball into Tyler Walker who strikes… Saved by the keeper. 57 minutes and chance at the other end for ANEKE!! Side netting after a block from Alex MacDonald. Soon after, Neal Bishop had the ball in space went for glory from 30 yards… but the ball went wide.
67 minutes and Chuks Aneke picked up the ball on the half way line and sprinted past Krystian Pearce and then floated the ball into the middle for KIERAN AGARD!! OH WHAT A SAVE!!! Conrad Logan with a vital hand there. Mansfield started to dominate the closing stages of the game, desperation kicking in with the Mansfield fans now including me. Could they find the equaliser?
Cross on the left hand side came in towards Danny Rose who headed across goal over the keeper… SURELY… Headed clear by MK Don’s Joe Walsh. The MK Dons back line was on top form keeping Mansfield at bay here. Danny Rose had the ball and went for goal but the shot was saved. 6 minutes of added time, a goal now would settle it either way. “WE ARE GOING UP!” Shouted the MK Dons fans, they believed it was their time with some of them queuing up to invade the pitch at the final whistle.
93 minutes and Krystian Pearce lofted the ball forward which fell to CJ Hamilton who crossed, cleared to Neal Bishop!! Blocked by his own man Danny Rose who was Offside… 95 minutes and one final charge for Mansfield. A free kick on the half way line taken by Conrad Logan cleared straight back for him to deliver again, same result and now a break for MK and a foul by Alex MacDonald on Watson gave MK a sigh of relief! 96 minutes on the clock and stoppage time was up and some Mansfield fans starting to tear up… The final whistle was blown and the MK Dons fans surged onto the pitch and then trouble occurred as some emotional Mansfield fans went onto the pitch to attack the MK fans celebrating in front of them. Time to go I thought absolutely gutted…
FT: MK Dons 1-0 Mansfield Town
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 9/10 – A great atmosphere throughout by both sets of fans but I thought Mansfield had just edged it between the 2 sets of fans in the end.
- The Ground: 10/10 – An unbelievable ground, definitely fit for the Premier League never mind League 2, possibly the nicest ground in the Football League.
- Expense: 6/10 – £20 is a good price but the game wasn’t the best game I’d ever seen and not just because of the result. Scenes at the end were not the scenes I like to see at football matches with the trouble on the pitch with the fans.
- Overall Experience: 5/10 – Absolutely devastated that Mansfield didn’t get the result they needed and that made the headlines of my day despite the fun I’d had before the match.
30/40