Filed under: League One, Football, Match Reports
A three-goal salvo early in the second half turned this League One play-off first leg on its head and means MK Dons are now 90 minutes away from Wembley at Peterborough's expense.A late Posh penalty means the tie is finally balanced however, with both sides ending this game with 10 men
Darren Ferguson's Posh side had looked on course for a first leg advantage at the break but imploded as soon as goalkeeper Joe Lewis, the former England Under-21 international, was forced off injured.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson looked on in horror as Karl Robinson's side took full advantage and his son must inspire a victory when the two sides meet again at London Road in the second leg on Thursday to stop the Dons from meeting Huddersfield or Bournemouth at the national stadium on May 28.
The two sides had come up together from League Two in 2007-08 and it was Peterborough who went on to play in the Championship last season before coming straight back down with a bump. This time it seems it could be the Dons' turn.
Posh took an eighth-minute lead through Craig Mackaill Smith following an error by Dons goalkeeper David Martin.
Mark Little, the right back, set up Nathaniel Mendez-Laing for a low drive that Martin, the son of former England defender Alvin Martin, really should have held.
But he didn't and Mackail-Smith was first to the loose ball to tap in his 33rd goal of the season and Peterborough's 107th of the campaign so far.
Posh lost defender Gabriel Zakuani to a suspected dislocated shoulder before the break, with the Dons going close when Lewis was required to save a header from Mathias Doumbe from a corner before the same player had an effort from another corner deflected over via the crossbar.
Lewis had been hurt early on however and was replaced at the break by Paul Jones, who is on loan from Exeter.
The luckless Jones found himself picking the ball out of the net three times within the first 11 minutes of the half.
The first, in the 47th minute, was his own fault as he failed to catch a cross and Daniel Powell swept home the loose ball despite the best efforts to block on the line of Ryan Bennett, who might have been sent off had he succeeded as the ball hit a hand.
And then Sam Baldock made it 2-1 in the 50th minute direct from a free kick after Tommy Rowe had fouled Luke Chadwick.
Worse was to come for Posh, who looked utterly shell-shocked, in the 56th minute when Angelo Balanta made it 3-1. The on-loan Queens Park Rangers forward initially fluffed a free header from a free kick but was in the right place to slot past Jones after Posh failed to clear their lines.
Their fortunes took another blow when Charlie Lee - who had been involved in the collision that had hurt Lewis - received his second caution of the game and was sent off in the 68th minute.
Suddenly the tie lurched back towards Peterbrough when Stephen Gleeson was sent off for fouling Little in the box and captain Grant McCann made no mistake from the spot to make it 3-2 with nine minutes remaining.
That's how it ended, although Mackail-Smith was close to an equaliser with two minutes remaining.
REACTION:
Robinson laid into referee Jon Moss and confirmed the Dons would appeal the Gleeson red card on the grounds that he was not the last man rather than the fact that it was outside the penalty area.
"Stephen Gleeson should have brought him down and got a booking earlier on but he never because of his honesty. Then there was a collision of feet a yard or two outside the box with Luke Chadwick and Gary MacKenzie coming round as cover.
"I had a nice chat with the referee and a very productive one. I just hope the FA look at this immediately because he's an honest boy, Stevie Gleeson, a wonderful professional and a talent, and for him to miss out on the games that are forthcoming would be criminal.
"The FA will look at it and I'm sure they will make the right decision. We will support whatever decision they come back with. We will appeal, 100 per cent."
Robinson conceded it had been a foul however.
"It was a foul. It was one of those where you go to reach for the ball and you kick the foot. It was a yard or two outside and the TV cameras show that and Luke Chadwick was coming round to make the covering tackle."
On the game itself.
"It was a great spectacle. Everyone who was in the ground witnessed a fantastic League One game."
On Thursday's decider.
"We knew it wouldn't be won or lost today. With the quality we have in this squad we can score goals. We are very strong at set-pieces. It's going to be a fantastic tie and I honestly can't wait. I wish it was tomorrow. It can't come quick enough for us.
"Peterborough can score goals at will and even with a five goal cushion you would still be under pressure at their place but the lesson from this game is that if you are 3-1 up and have a man advantage don't take your foot off the pedal."
Ferguson was not impressed with his side's overall performance.
"That was probably as bad as we could have played in a game like this. I have told the players the same - I'm not going to tell anyone different. We picked the wrong day to have such a poor day, particularly on the ball.
"They were far better than us on the day and I'm delighted to still be in the tie. We made a perfect start but we lacked composure and credit to them, they were better than us. At 3-1 with 10 men we could have been out of it so to get to 3-2 you take it.
"I do know though that we can perform so much better and I would like to think we will."
On the Zakuani and Lewis injuries
"You get injuries in football games but it was unfortunate that we lost two out of our back five, that was key. You don't want to unsettle your back five at any time so to lose two was a blow. But even then the goals we lost were very poor.
"We don't know what Gabby has done and Joe has gone for a scan. We will know tomorrow and just have to deal with it."
On Lee's dismissal.
"He claims he was nowhere near him for the second one. Apparently our penalty was outside the box and in games like these you need a bit of luck."
WHAT IT MEANS: Quite simply, that we are in for another roller-coaster ride at London Road on Thursday, when anything could happen.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/05/15/mk-dons-3-peterborough-2-turns-tie-in-dons-favour-after-lewis/
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