MK Dons started well and won a corner on 3 minutes. Dean Lewington kicked the ball straight out for a goal-kick at the near post but the referee pointed to the penalty spot for a foul that only he managed to see and he booked Mark Stallard despite nothing appearing to be wrong at all. McLeod slotted the ball past Marriott and it was 1-0 to MK Dons in one of the most controversial openings to a City game in history.

Frecklington won a corner but it was wasted by City but then Mark Stallard started limping heavily. McLeod was then booked for this first of his impression of a Portugese player but he continued his quick charge to the game with a shot from the edge of the area that was easily held by Marriott. Stallard’s last action of the match saw his through-ball fail to reach Forrester. A foul from behind ended Stallard’s game as it just aggravated the injury he’d picked up and he was replaced by Gritton.

MK Dons doubled their lead when Edds ran down the wing, he crossed the ball and former Hull man, Aaron Wilbraham headed in from 6 yards and despite being surrounded by Imps’ players, he was unchallenged as he easily headed past Marriott who seemed to be the only one trying to stop them scoring.

It was all going out of the window for the Imps’ as MK Don’s long ball tactics not allowing the Imps to play the ball on the ground and City were struggling to get going. Not for the first time, MK Dons got confused with a basketball team and Wilbraham was booked for pushing the ball off of Mayo’s head.

Martin Gritton wasted a good opportunity for the Imps when he burst forward but his shot from 25 yards went well, well wide of the target and a few minutes later, he headed over from close range. However, when Lee Frecklington picked up the ball around 25 yards out on the left, he scored the goal of the season so far for the Imps when he smashed the ball home from a narrow angle for a truly great strike.

In the final minute of added on time, City won a penalty after...wait for it.... a handball in the area from a defender. Jamie Forrester stepped up for City but he could only hit his tame penalty along the ground and straight into Baines’ arms and the referee blew for half time.

Clive Platt, who scored both goals in the Don’s FA Cup victory of City last season, replaced Patrick Ewing (a famous basketballer who played for the Knicks), or as he’s otherwise known, Aarron Wilbraham for the visitors.

What’s this, McLeod on the floor? Never, the referee looked increasingly annoyed as his constant diving and MK Dons were lucky not to receive another yellow card minutes later when Martin Gritton was kicked in the back of the head, studs first but amazingly, the referee gave MK Dons the advantage and play continued until City were on the attack and then, the first year ref blew and Gritton received treatment.

Minutes later and McLeod sent a ball deep into the box and Clive Platt was waiting and despite being surrounded by 3 defenders, he rose higher than anyone else (not hard considering none of the defenders jumped) and sent a brilliant header past a helpless Marriott and into the net to make it 3-1 and it appeared to just be a question of how many MK would score.

However, within a few minutes and despite being 3-1 down, you could argue it was advantage Lincoln as McLeod broke through on goal but just as Morgan was about the head it clear, McLeod upper-cutted the ball and the referee stopped play and gave the striker his second yellow and he got a red. However, he refused to go quietly and that drew Martin Allen to go mental at him, telling him to get away from the officials, just as they had done at the end of the first half.

Within a minute and City were back in the game when Jamie Forrester’s mishit overhead kick found it’s way to Beevers and the defender’s shot was pushed into the net by Baines and it was well and truly game on. Soon after and Hughes sent a weak shot wide of the target.

Jon-Paul McGovern was booked for a late foul on Eaden. Amoo replaced Moses for City. Eaden headed wide from Hughes’ cross before Frecklington fired over on the volley. A perfect example of the MK Don’s time wasting tactics came when Amoo and Baines went in for a 50:50 challenge, Baines won it but then, when Amoo was running back out pitch, Baines chased him, tried to him him and despite running about 10 metres, he suddenly collapsed, pretending that he couldn’t run. Edds was replaced by Cook for the visitors where Lee Beevers was replaced by Ollie Ryan and City’s hopes of scoring a goal suddenly disappeared.

For the first time in 4 years (almost to the day), 6 minutes of injury time were indicated. After a quiet few minutes, City won a corner but Hughes hit it straight at the first defender, how many times have we heard that before. Frecklington had City’s final chance but it went straight at the goalkeeper and City’s 11 month unbeaten run at home was ended.

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