MK Dons made it three league games without a win on Saturday as they surrendered a two-goal lead late on. Alex Gilbey and Chuks Aneke had put the visitors in the driving seat on their short trip to Northampton but a late Cobblers’ revival saw goals from Andy Williams and Junior Morias secure a point for the hosts.
Paul Tisdale’s side remain second in the table but now have to traverse a six-point gap between themselves and Lincoln if they are to return to the top of the table. However, one of the positives to come from the game was the return of Mathieu Baudry. The Frenchman had only played seven minutes of league football this season before yesterday but put in an exceptional performance.
Mathieu Baudry Can Provide Competition For MK Dons
MK Dons have used a three-defender formation in every game so far this season, which begged the question as to why they had brought in three top-quality reinforcements in the summer with Jordan Moore-Taylor, Baily Cargill and Mathieu Baudry. Moore-Taylor and Cargill went straight into the side and have not been displaced unless for injury. Joe Walsh was also a regular until he succumbed to injury and George Williams has filled in on the right side of the three when not playing as the right-wingback.
One player to miss out constantly, mostly due to injury but briefly due to suspension, is Mathieu Baudry. The French former Leyton Orient and Doncaster defender signed on a free transfer in the summer and had one of the most horrendous debuts possible. He came on as an 82nd-minute substitute in the 0-0 draw away to Crewe and, by the 89th minute, had been given his marching orders for a late lunge.
High Praise
The 30-year-old had not even made a matchday squad since that game until the Northampton fixture, and even Tisdale admitted he didn’t think Baudry would play any part in the game: “It was a big day for him. We weren’t even considering playing him less than 24 hours ago. He has been training for a couple of weeks, but when needs must sometimes. “We’ve had issues in the backline with injury, and every now and then as a manager, you have to speculate. “I know he’s a good player but he hadn’t played for so long. Considering how long he had been out, I thought his performance was exceptional.”
It’s certainly high praise from his manager, but it’s more than justified as Baudry put in an exceptional performance, making two key blocks and generally being a calming influence in the backline. While Jordan Moore-Taylor made his return in this game as a substitute, Baudry can certainly stake a claim for a starting spot with performances like that.
Main Photo
