MK Dons vs. Preston North End didn’t have the outcome that the fans and Karl Robinson would’ve been hoping for.
It was tipped to be one of the tightest matches in game week two of the Sky Bet Championship; considering how close the two sides were in the League One table last season, with MK Dons just pipping their Lancashire opponents to the final automatic spot on the last day. Based upon that, Preston knew they were going to Stadium mk with a point to prove, and they did it perfectly.
Right from the first whistle, it was tight marking by Preston, not easily allowing the Dons to play the one or two touch football they are slowly becoming renowned for. This meant that the Dons were forced into mistakes, often conceding possession in dangerous places. Goalkeeper, David Martin, was specifically a culprit of this, gifting the ball to Preston forward, Will Keane, but Keane missed his chance.
Despite a nervous looking performance at the back, MK did look a threat going forward. Dean Lewington and Sam Gallagher came close, but Preston’s solid back line dealt with most things comfortably. However, the Dons lacked the killer pass, usually supplied by the ever-dependable Ben Reeves, but he was completely shut out of the game by the Lillywhites’ number 19, John Welsh. He had an excellent game by keeping perhaps the main threat quiet. This meant that MK couldn’t play their usual game, and that became apparent when Preston took the lead.
Samir Carruthers gave away the ball under pressure; some neat interplay by Daniel Johnson and Joe Garner, coupled with some poor defending, allowed Paul Gallagher to slot home a deserved lead for Preston.
The Dons were much improved in the second half, but even the added flair of Peruvian, Cristian Benavente, couldn’t find them a goal.
Individual Analysis:
GK – David Martin (6) – Did not have a lot to do throughout the game; however, he could’ve done a lot better with Preston’s goal. He dived far too early which allowed an easy finish for Gallagher, and throughout the game his kicking and overall distribution was not one to fill the home fans with confidence. He gifted the ball to Will Keane in the first half, who was only denied the goal by some excellent defending by Darren Potter. A few hairy moments as well for the Dons stopper, as some weak passes were also nearly intercepted.
RB – Jordan Spence (8) – Voted Man of the Match at the game, and, from a Dons point of view, it was probably deserved. A lot of Preston’s attacking was done down the left or through the middle, so, defensively, he didn’t have a lot to do, but dealt with what he did very well. Going forward, he is improving every game, including the back end of last season. His pace and driving runs down the wing were a threat and that’s what led to MK’s second goal at Rotherham last week – a run and cross by Spence.
CB – Antony Kay (6) – When the pressure was off today, he seemed very calm and composed, which reflected onto the other players. However, he was partly at fault for Preston’s goal, not getting close enough to the attacker and allowing him to play a pass in a dangerous area. Apart from that, it was generally a low-key game for him with little to do, mostly due to Preston’s use of the channels to utilise Joe Garner’s heading ability.
CB – Kyle McFadzean – (6) – Had a very similar game to his centre-back partner, Kay, being jointly at fault for Preston’s goal for the very same reason. However, when there was no pressure from either Garner or Keane, his collectedness at the back seemed to reflect upon the other players, allowing the Dons to play some neat stuff in patches. He also played very high up for the last 10 minutes, as MK looked to get back into the game. Furthermore, he did well at keeping the ball in and around the final third, but most of his work there came to nothing.
LB – Dean Lewington (7) – He has had a lot of critics already, with people saying that he is not good enough for this league, and, though he may not be setting it alight, he has played solidly in the three games so far (that includes the first round of the Capital One Cup). The one thing that he needs to work on which has been evident right from the off, as well as nearly the whole of last season, is being able to get back after attacking. His lack of pace to get back means that the Dons are stretched as soon as their opponents enter the final third, and it was especially evident today as he was playing very high up at times, whilst MK looked to use his crossing ability.
CDM – Darren Potter (7) – There wasn’t much to fault Darren Potter on today; there rarely ever is. Much like the two behind him, he has a tremendous calming influence on the team, and his short passing to get out of tight areas came into effect, playing tidy ones with Lewington and Carruthers, especially.
CDM – Samir Carruthers (5) – It definitely wasn’t the best performance today from Carruthers, with his wayward pass leading to Preston’s goal. Despite some good runs going forward, it was a frustrating performance from MK’s new number 14, as he lacked consistency in the middle of the park.
RM – Carl Baker (6) – Adding to a disappointing performance against Leyton Orient in the week, Baker failed to do what he has become known for in Milton Keynes: provide a bit of magic to get goals. He was often shut out by Preston’s tight marking, which didn’t allow him to cut inside as he does so often.
CAM – Ben Reeves (6) – It was frustrating to see him shut out of a game so well by Preston, especially by John Welsh, who did a fantastic job keeping him quiet and not allowing him to provide the killer pass or to get in a shot. Towards the end, when Welsh let his guard down a little more, once Reeves moved to the right, he was able to provide some dangerous looking crosses. They were easily dealt with by keeper, Jordan Pickford, though.
LM – Dean Bowditch (6) – Little to fault him on, but very little to get excited about, either. His crosses were often stopped, and the few that did reach the penalty area were dealt with easily by either the defence or Pickford.
ST – Sam Gallagher (7) – I said in my last piece that the Dons should look to utilise the height and strength that Gallagher possesses; it was evident that they tried to do that today. Lewington was often the one to play lofted passes in to him, and Gallagher often took them under control or nodded them on, but they were to no avail on a frustrating afternoon for the Buckinghamshire side. Gallagher gets a slightly higher rating for his work ethic throughout the game, and for creating a couple of chances for himself in the first half, coming very close on both occasions.
Overall Man of the Match – Jordan Pickford, Preston (9) – It was a commanding performance from Preston’s young goalkeeper. Firstly, pulling off a fantastic save to deny Gallagher in the first half; diving low to his right to keep out a header, and making the penalty area his own and the influx of Dons crosses were caught with real authority. His distribution could cause teams at this level a lot of problems this season, too, with his enormous drop kicks enough to even worry David Martin in the opposite goal. In summary, it was a really good performance from the 21-year-old on loan from Sunderland, who could become a top keeper at this level.
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