Maynard denies Latics a point

BEATEN . . . Connor Ripley

MK DONS 1, ATHLETIC 0

NICKY Maynard's last-gasp volley denied Athletic the chance to climb out of the bottom-four.

The MK Dons substitute hammered in a right-footed volley across Connor Ripley, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance – five minutes and 10 seconds over the regular 90 minutes, with referee Darren Handley indicating a minimum of four minutes were to be added on.

An Athletic substitution will have added 30 second to that total, but in a game featuring precious few chances John Sheridan will be left feeling aggrieved.

Dean Bowditch dallied when well placed close to goal in the first half before playing in a cross that team-mate Kieran Agard should have done better than wildly slash at, missing the ball totally.

At the other end, Aaron Amadi-Holloway was not far away with a glancing header from Chris Taylor's cross.

Dons substitute Chuks Aneke pulled a shot well wide of goal after finding space and saw another effort blocked by Peter Clarke but in a non-event of a second half, it was Maynard's sudden intervention that secured the hosts three points.