Latics fail to hold after defender shown red card

Photo: Pictures by MAX FLEGO

Athletic central defender Adam Lockwood gives Athletic the lead.

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MK Dons 2, Athletic 1
As he entered the field for the start of the second half on Saturday, a simple instruction from his manager Lee Johnson will no doubt have been ringing in Genseric Kusunga’s ears: “Don’t get a second yellow card. Don’t get a second yellow card. Don’t get a second yellow card.”

Kusunga got a second yellow card.

He failed by rashly tripping Stephen Gleeson, earning his second dismissal of the season and doing his chances of a contract renewal no good at all.

Of course Athletic went on to lose, because that is how Athletic operate. Dominance in possession, failure to capitalise, mental aberration, defeat. This is the soundtrack to the season.

Kusunga isn’t the only one to blame for this defeat; manager Johnson could have avoided the 10-man catastrophe by bringing on Connor Brown to replace the defender, who was already treading on thin ice.

Athletic were guilty of not taking their chances, as usual. Jon Stead, Gary Harkins and Danny Philliskirk were all wasteful.

At the back, Mark Oxley made a great save shortly before the Dons’ late winner. But the ’keeper should have done better than to later push out a tame Samir Carruthers strike from long range into the path of Ben Reeves.

Home boss Karl Robinson pushed the limits of acceptable behaviour. As his team was edged out of its rhythm by Athletic in a first half which was a tactical master class on Johnson’s behalf, the Dons manager’s frustration grew. At one stage he was outside his technical area and talking to Harkins as the Scot lined up a free-kick. If it got to the player, it didn’t show. Harkins was a menace throughout the first half.

With Johnson directing operations from the directors’ box, Athletic tinkered with a 4-5-1 formation that initially stifled the Dons’ passing game.

Izale McLeod failed to react to a centre from Lee Hodson, but it was a rare moment of danger for Athletic’s back-four.

Kusunga picked up his first booking for a tug on Daniel Powell, a scorer in both of last season’s meetings with Athletic.

Athletic grew as an attacking force and Harkins volleyed wide from a cross by James Dayton, deployed as one of three central midfielders in the absence of injured captain Korey Smith.

Stead was doing an excellent job of holding the ball up and linking with Harkins.

Athletic took the lead as James Wilson found his path blocked by Reeves. After neat work to flick the ball round him, the resultant free-kick was punched into the path of Harkins, who cleverly hit a cross Adam Lockwood flicked home with his head.

McLeod had a shout for a penalty turned down as Grounds bumped into him in the box. It appeared a close call, but Athletic ended the half the stronger with Stead testing Martin and Philliskirk cutting inside to hit a shot with his left foot which deflected narrowly wide.

Athletic’s slender advantage was wiped out four minutes into the second half.

Carruthers skipped infield from the left and stepped round would-be tacklers before hitting a shot across Oxley and into the far corner.

More missed chances by Athletic and strong defending by Dons left the teams at stalemate and it looked like Athletic might hold on despite being down to 10 men

But in the second added minute Reeves tapped home.

As Johnson emerged after the game to speak to the press, the red mist had not yet quite cleared.

The Swiss’s role in this game was enough to cope with, losing a game his team held all the aces in was another. Managing Athletic is enough to send anyone cuckoo.