Full-time: MK Dons 2 Bristol Rovers 1

​MK Dons 2 Bristol Rovers 1: A contentious penalty decision put Bristol Rovers on the road to their fifth defeat in a row.

Peter Leven’s 71st-minute spot kick broke the deadlock for the home side before Jason Puncheon slammed home their second late in the game.

Although the Pirates pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time when substitute Chris Lines netted from a corner, there was no way back for the Gas,

The visitors made one change from the side that had started the 4-0 midweek defeat by Leeds with Mark Wright returning to the starting line up as Chris Dickson began on the bench.

Boss Paul Trollope opened with a 4-5-1 formation, using midfielder Stuart Campbell in a deep role and Jo Kuffour as the lone striker with the Pirates looking to get midfield players pushing forward to support him.

At least the switch gave the visitors a more solid look and there was little to report at either end over the opening 15 minutes until Byron Anthony made a low block to prevent defender David McCracken getting in a shot following a corner.

Rovers were hoping to pose a threat from their own set pieces, and that proved the case in the 19th minute.

Stuart Campbell delivered an outswinging corner from the right and Elliott rose to get in a header from 16 yards that struck the bar but bounced away to safety.

The visitors carved out another chance seven minutes later when Kuffour’s touch allowed Andy Williams to advance, but the former Hereford player could not steer his shot wide of keeper Willy Gueret, who managed to save.

Encouragingly for the visitors, they were starting to cause problems and McCracken had to get in a block of his own to prevent Kuffour’s far-post shot reaching goal.

At the other end, Jason Puncheon fired high over the top from 20 yards as the home side looked to break the deadlock.

Then, as the game moved into stoppage time, Gueret had to come out quickly to smother at Kuffour’s feet following a Rovers free kick.

The Pirates twice went close to taking the lead in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

First, a neat one-two between Kuffour and Wright allowed the winger to advance, and although his cross was just ahead of the onrushing Williams, it reached Dominic Blizzard beyond the far post.

But his low shot was beaten out by Gueret at the expense of a corner.

Then the woodwork came to the Dons’ rescue again. Wright again provided a decent cross and Kuffour’s header looped against the crossbar before being cleared.

Rovers had an escape just before the hour mark when Doumbe’s cross was nodded on and Jermaine Easter just beat the advancing Andersen to the ball, but poked his attempt narrowly wide of the post.

Three minutes later, Jeff Hughes ran at the home defence before finding Anthony, only for the central defender to lash an angled shot into the side netting.

The visitors found themselves in arrears in the 71st minute after the Dons took the lead from the penalty spot. Elliott was judged to have shoved Mathias Doumbe inside the area and Leven sent Andersen the wrong way from the spot to break the deadlock.

It was harsh on Rovers, who had defended valiantly up until that point, and Trollope responded by making a couple of changes, with Dickson replacing Williams and Chris Lines on for Blizzard.

Then, with 11 minutes left, Darryl Duffy replaced Hughes before the home side twice went close. Andersen was just able to deflect a shot from Puncheon around the post and from the resulting corner, Leven rifled narrowly wide from the edge of the box.

Rovers continued to press with Duffy causing a scare for the home side, but the Dons put the result beyond doubt in the 89th minutes.

Leven pulled the ball back from the right flank and Puncheon smashed home their second goal from 20 yards.

Rovers pulled a goal back in stoppage time, Lines netting from a Campbell corner, but it was not enough to prevent another defeat.

 

MK Dons: Gueret, Doumbe, McCracken, Swailes, Lewington, Puncheon, Gleeson, Leven, Devaney (Doran 90), Easter (Baldock 66), Wilbraham. Subs: Carrington, Gobern, Searle, Davis, Howell.

Bristol Rovers: Andersen, Regan, Anthony, Elliott, Lescott, Williams (Dickson 74), Blizzard (Lines 74), Campbell, Hughes (Duffy 79), Wright, Kuffour. Subs: Reece, Swallow, Clough, Evans.

Att: 9,711