Outlook bleak as Dons inflict more misery

LEADING FROM THE FRONT . . . stand-in captain Mike Jones provides some momentum for Athletic.

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Athletic 1, MK Dons 3

ANOTHER tale of toil and awful mistakes was played out in front of the lowest crowd for three and a half years, as the new Dean Holden era started with a whimper rather than a bang.

Confirmed as Athletic's new manager on the morning of the game, Holden donned a suit for the occasion - but his side was in tatters defensively from the early stages.

Most of the crowd of 2,445 drew a sharp breath when goalkeeper Jake Kean – whose awful night was capped by an ankle injury – spilled a long-range shot into the path of Will Grigg.

The striker failed with the first of his four gilt-edged chances to score, hitting the outside of a post.

But as Athletic's makeshift side creaked and split, MK Dons eventually took advantage to the tune of three goals - from Dean Bowditch and Daniel Powell in the first half and Ben Reeves in the second.

Holden's side didn't lack workrate, but confidence appears low in certain players and goals are an issue.

Conor Wilkinson hit a post and missed a presentable chance as the home side started the second half strongly at 2-0 down, and before that the lively Jonathan Forte saw a chance beautifully carved out by Carl Winchester saved well by David Martin.

Rhys Turner at least pulled one back as he arranged his feet to fire low and true in the 79th minute, netting for the first time in an Athletic shirt.

But Athletic were down and out by that stage. Six losses in seven matches makes grim reading and points are needed to maintain a buffer from the bottom-four. Holden certainly needs his experienced players back as quickly as possible, because the replacements simply don’t have the resolve required.

At least the manager had the benefit of relative riches in numbers of staff on the home bench.

Academy boss Tony Philliskirk has stepped up as Holden's number two and Adam Lockwood, out on suspension, was also able to add his expertise.

Holden made two changes to his line-up, with Timothee Dieng and Brian Wilson in for Lockwood and Danny Philliskirk, who dropped to the substitutes' bench. Connor Brown took up a spot on the right flank and the plan was to stifle the passing of a Dons side who had hammered Athletic 7-0 in their previous meeting this term.

The start couldn’t have been shakier, as Kean spilled and Grigg wasted his first chance.

Athletic at least recovered for a time and Forte's low cross fell tantalisingly too far in front of Brown in the middle.

Kean made a terrific save as Grigg peeled off a marker – a common occurrence in the game – to hit a volley when finding space 12 yards out.

But after Dieng gave the ball away cheaply, the impressive Sami Carruthers provided a telling pass for Dean Bowditch to slide neatly home.

Athletic had two opportunities to level before the Dons sent their travelling 66 fans into raptures with a second. But Powell made it 2-0 by rolling home after Carruthers had slipped in behind the defence down the left far too easily, and Holden was forced into changes.

Philliskirk came on brightly, and with Forte pushed up front alongside Wilkinson, Athletic immediately started to pose questions. Wilkinson was unfortunate to see a clean strike of the ball strike a post after a Jones effort was blocked, while the loan striker had enough time soon after to shape a 20-yard drive to the far post. It went a ball's width off target. It was that kind of a night.

Genseric Kusunga seemed to injure Kean in making a sliding clearance and Joel Coleman, on his first start, could do little other than pick out Reeves’ curler as Athletic’s defence stood off and admired in front of him.

Grigg hammered a pair of great opportunities over the top, but it mattered little.

Turner's late strike with his left foot came after Philliskirk's path was blocked.

It was a poacher’s goal, but at the moment Athletic are the prey being picked off and Holden has to find an answer. Welcome to the job.