Sure-footed Latics put skids under Dons

I’M BEHIND YOU: Filipe Morais holds off MK Dons full-back Dean Lewington

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Athletic 2, MK Dons 1
SHEFKI Kuqi’s opening goal emphasised the difference between the sides on a pleasing night on the field for Athletic.

The 34-year-old knocked home his fifth in eight games for the club shortly before half-time, after MK Dons goalkeeper David Martin slipped on the wet turf chasing down a long, hopeful and not

particularly expectant Zander Diamond punt forward.

As Athletic’s fierce work-rate bettered, matched and then bettered again their opponents in the opening period, the goal was merited.

Tom Adeyemi added a second after the break and even though Clinton Morrison pulled a goal back to create a tense finish, Paul Dickov’s men held on to inflict only a second defeat of the season on the ambitious visitors.

Athletic can rightly be pleased with their efforts, broadcast to the nation thanks to the live television coverage.

But Martin’s calamity also illustrated the point that on a miserable evening weather-wise at Boundary Park, while Dickov’s men were sharp of foot and mind, the visitors were curiously slothful mentally.

Like most of the missing fans — the crowd figure was a paltry 2,408 — it seemed MK Dons didn’t want to be there.

A team composed of the sort of players young boss Karl Robinson has at his disposal should

know better than to play such dunderheaded football.

Even after Martin’s calamity, Dons defenders twice played him into trouble with successive back-passes just after the hour.

Sticking to your principles of playing on the ground and building from the back is all well and good on a firm surface.

But when the pitch acts as a skidpan due to three days of non-stop rain being applied liberally to it, it is prudent to pick and choose areas in which to play.

Athletic did exactly this in a compact team effort.

Defensively unyielding and limiting MK mainly to long-range shots, with Chris Taylor and Robbie Simpson coming in off their respective wings to drive through the middle the visitors found it tough to cope.

Adeyemi must have covered every sodden blade of grass and was rewarded in the 56th minute with a well-taken strike which combined athleticism, strength and a cool head.

And David Mellor was another star man. The teenager will have the scouts flooding to Boundary Park if he keeps up this sort of level of performance, full of defensive strength and showing an eagerness to get forward down the touchline when the chance arises.

Making two changes, with Mellor and Simpson replacing injured Bradley Diallo and substitute Filipe Morais, Athletic were bright from the start and Taylor headed a couple of yards wide from Simpson’s corner before James Wesolowski struck a long-range drive well off target.

At the other end, Luke Chadwick shot straight at Alex Cisak following the lively Angelo Balanta’s neat angled pass.

Diamond and Nathan Clarke were forced into good blocks as the visitors found their feet — often before losing them again on the treacherous surface.

Kieran Lee was booked for a second foul in half a minute, the latter infringement on Dean Bowditch, before Athletic suffered the blow of losing Reuben Reid.

The in-form five-goal striker pulled up chasing down a Taylor pass down the left side and had to call it a day early with a hamstring injury.

On came Morais as a like-for-like replacement — and the change didn’t stifle Athletic as an attacking force.

Bowditch hit a skidding shot which bounced off Cisak’s chest with the Athletic stopper able to re-gather and Balanta also tested the Tasmanian’s reflexes with a low 25-yarder.

Simpson hit a shot which Martin did well to get down to smother, before Adeyemi might have done better than shoot three yards over as Athletic broke at pace.

Mellor brought some cheer to the home crowd with an adventurous burst forward which he couldn’t quite round off with a clean shot.

And after Kuqi’s opener, the same player almost doubled Athletic’s advantage in first-half added time.

Taking on a Simpson pass and stepping round Martin to the left, he visibly composed himself as defenders rushed to guard the goal — but could only direct the ball, left-footed, into the side-netting.

Adeyemi did make it two, doing well initially to hold off a challenge from a defender who at one stage looked favourite to reach the through-ball first.

Bowditch lashed a 30-yard effort narrowly wide as MK Dons tried to get back into the contest, before clever wing play from Korais saw his cross headed into the air by Simpson and then into a wall of defenders from point-blank range by Wesolowski.

Chadwick’s shot from the edge of the box whistled over the bar for Robinson’s men and Mellor very nearly teed up Morais with a powerful surge down the line, only for his shot to deflect wide off Gary MacKenzie.

Morrison slid home a cross from substitute Anthony McNamee after a rare flowing move from MK, causing a flutter in the home ranks.

Despite a late scare when Cisak just beat Morrison to chasing down a long ball, over the top, Athletic held on to gain three valuable points and a fourth victory in six games in all competitions.