MK Dons will be in the Third Round of the FA Cup after they recorded a 3-1 win over Oldham Athletic at Stadium MK.
Joe Tomlinson and Liam Kelly scored goals either side of half-time to give Paul Warne’s hosts an advantage against their fellow League Two opponents.
A penalty scored by Oldham sub Luke Hannant had seen the visitors threaten to take the tie to extra-time, but a goal at the start of injury time from substitute Nathaniel Mendez-Laing clinched it for the hosts.
Victory means that the Dons will progress to Round 3 of the FA Cup for the first time since the 2020/21 campaign.
Having risen into the automatic promotion places in League Two, the Dons faced the challenge of competing for the next stage of the FA Cup. It would see them take on a familiar opponent in the form of Oldham Athletic, who had previously visited Stadium MK on the opening day of the season in a 0-0 draw.
Oldham began the day with some bright attacking play, although it didn’t yield big chances. Jake Caprice blasted a strike wide from outside the box, before Michael Mellon saw a shot from a tight angle kept out by Craig MacGillivray.
As the half wore on, MK Dons began to offer more of an attacking threat, with Aaron Collins prodding an effort wide from Callum Paterson’s cross before the same man had a strike blocked by Oldham’s Dynel Simeu.
Laurence Maguire and Paterson would later see strikes blocked at corners, but the first half was threatening to peter out until MK Dons found a breakthrough in the latter phase of the half.
Oldham had initially cleared a Dons corner, but the hosts maintained pressure and Maguire’s flick from a second ball into the box found Tomlinson, who lashed the ball home from the edge of the box.
Having got the lead late in the half, the Dons pushed on. Will Collar would come close in the opening minutes of the half, with the keeper having two attempts denied by Matthew Hudson’s double save.
A counter-attack also nearly paid dividends for the hosts. From Mellon’s long-throw, the hosts flew forward in a move that ended with Paterson striking the post and Collins putting the ball in only to be deemed to have fouled Hudson.
Oldham nearly made the most of reprieve, with MacGillivray making a flying stop to deny Tom Pett after the Latics man had got free on the edge of the box.
It would then become 2-0 to MK Dons just before the hour. The hosts had seen an attack seemingly fizzle out, but Kelly raced onto the loose ball and guided a fine first-time strike into the back of the net beyond the reach of Hudson.
The game’s momentum initially slowed down, with both sides making a wave of substitutions with one eye on midweek matches. The best opportunity in this phase would see Dons sub Mendez-Laing have a strike blocked.
But with 15 minutes to go, Oldham would get a lifeline. Maguire fouled Oldham sub Mike Fondop in the box, and from the penalty spot, Hannant sent MacGillivray the wrong way to reduce the home side’s advantage.
MK Dons would nearly brush off any concerns of an Oldham comeback, however, with substitute Jon Mellish playing a cross for Collar, whose header was tipped over by Hudson.
Mellish’s next contribution was less impressive, however, with the wing-back starting a melee for which both he and Fondop earned bookings.
In the end, the Dons would wrap up the win and with it a place in the Third Round. Kelly’s long ball released Mendez-Laing, who got there ahead of Hudson after the Oldham keeper had raced off his line. Mendez-Laing duly rounded the Oldham keeper and rolled it into the empty net, confirming MK Dons’ progress into the next round.
MK Dons: MacGillivray – Offord, Sanders (Ekpiteta 45), Maguire (Mellish 78) – Jones (Nemane 60), Thompson-Sommers, Kelly, Collar, Tomlinson – Paterson (Mendez-Laing 60), Collins (Gilbey 60)
Subs not used: Trueman, Mellish, Tripp, Waller, Burke
Goal: Tomlinson (42), Kelly (57), Mendez-Laing (90+2)
Booked: Maguire, Mellish
Oldham: Hudson – Simeu (Sutton 62), Daniels, Monthe – Caprice, Pett (Payne 62), Woods, Stevens (Hannant 62), Robson – Drummond (Quigley 62), Mellon (Fondop 71)
Subs not used: Donaghy, Ogle, Charsley, Fondop, Morris
Goal: Hannant (pen 75)
Booked: Robson, Monthe, Fondop