Northampton Town picked up a 3-1 win over early high-fliers Huddersfield and in the process picked up a first away league win in 7 months.
The Cobblers last won an away game when they beat Burton Albion in late February, while their hosts had won both of their first two home games in League One and thrashed Bolton last time out.
But Huddersfield gifted Northampton the lead when Michal Helik’s backpass wrong-footed home goalkeeper Lee Nicholls and trundled in for an own goal.
Cameron McGeehan and Tarique Fosu duly added to Northampton’s lead, handing them a three goal lead at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Josh Koroma would grab a late goal back for Huddersfield, and Koroma would then also miss a penalty, with Northampton’s Akin Odimayo sent off for giving the spot-kick away.
But the home side ran out of time, allowing Northampton to toast success on the road in West Yorkshire.
A reshuffled Northampton side had already come close when one-time Cobblers loanee and former MK Dons goalkeeper Nicholls denied Fosu.
But Northampton would take the lead in the 18th minute in bizarre circumstances. Under no pressure, Helik attempted to pass back to Nicholls only to overhit the pass, with the goalkeeper unable to stop the goal and Northampton duly in front.
Buoyed by that, Northampton duly made it 2-0 seven minutes later. On a counter, Fosu squared the ball for McGeehan, who placed home a first-time strike to double the away side’s advantage.
Koroma would head wide when well placed later in the half, but Northampton nearly grabbed a third goal when captain Jon Guthrie’s header hit the crossbar, with the officials ruling the ball did not cross the line.
With just over half an hour to go, Northampton duly found goal number three. Fosu outmuscled a marker just inside the Huddersfield half before charging to the box and converting his strike.
Huddersfield would grab a goal back in the final ten minutes as Koroma was able to find space for a strike and duly got his shot past Lee Burge.
Things then nearly became more dicey for Jon Brady’s side when moments after that, Huddersfield were awarded a penalty and they were reduced to ten. Koroma’s run into the box was ended by Odimayo, who was shown a second yellow card and sent off.
But Koroma’s penalty was saved by Burge, and for the remainder of the game, Northampton kept Huddersfield at arm’s length to see out a big success on the road.
Two late goals by Carlton Morris helped Luton Town to a 2-1 victory Sheffield Wednesday at Kenilworth Road.
Barry Bannan had volleyed the Owls in fronts, but a handball by Di’Shon Bernard was penalised by the referee, earning the Wednesday defender a red card and allowing substitute Morris to score the spot-kick.
Morris then added a second goal to win the match for Rob Edwards’ side, who picked up their first home win of the new season and back-to-back three point hauls in the Championship.
Having picked up a first win of the campaign at Millwall the previous weekend, Luton arrived seeking to build on that against a Sheffield Wednesday side without a win since the opening weekend.
The visitors would start on the front foot, with Bannan firing a strike off target when well-placed before Thomas Kaminski kept out Michael Smith and Josh Windass when the Wednesday attackers were well placed to strike.
Mark McGuinness was denied a first Luton goal by James Beadle later in the half in the home side’s best first half opportunity.
But it would be the visitors who struck the game’s opening goal seven minutes after the restart. Jan Valery picked up the ball down the flank and his cross found away skipper Bannan, who dispatched a fine volley beyond Kaminski and in.
Luton made a triple substitution in response but initially couldn’t create big chances. That all changed, however, when they were handed a penalty in the final 15 minutes.
A free-kick was half-cleared to Teden Mengi, who saw a drive blocked by Bernard, but the same defender’s block on McGuinness’ rebound was deemed to have been by his hand, earning him a straight red card and seeing Luton given a penalty.
Morris stepped up and duly did the honours by rolling the ball home from the penalty spot.
A winner came Luton’s way with two minutes to go. Sheffield Wednesday struggled to clear their lines and McGuinness eventually prodded the ball for Morris to thump past Beadle, earning the home side the win.
Striker Mo Eisa has signed for Iranian side Nassaji Mazandaran three months after his release by MK Dons.
Eisa, 30, had left MK Dons at the end of last season after three years at Stadium MK, with the striker signing a one-year contract with the side based in the northern Iranian city of Qa’em Shahr.
Eisa’s move to Nassaji Mazandaran was confirmed on Thursday, with the Sudanese international having been available on a free transfer after being released on a free transfer.
The striker had joined MK Dons in 2021 for an undisclosed fee from Peterborough United. He scored 31 goals in 101 appearances over three years at Stadium MK.
Initially, Eisa formed part of an attacking trio with Scott Twine and Troy Parrott for the MK Dons side that nearly won promotion to the Championship in the 2021/22 season, but suffered a major injurynear the end of the season.
Eisa would score 14 goals in all competitions in the following season despite the Dons’ relegation, and he started last season well, only to struggle to fit into the side when Mike Williamson replaced Graham Alexander.
The striker was sent out from MK Dons on loan in January 2024, spending the second part of last season on loan at Exeter City. In Devon, Eisa scored one in 11 games, with the Grecians opting not to make his loan permanent.
His new employers finished 12th in the 16-team Persian Gulf Pro League last season.
The move is Eisa’s first outside of English football. After moving from his native Sudan to England as a child, Eisa gained experience in non-league before a rich vein of goalscoring form with Greenwich Borough saw him earn a move to Cheltenham Town in 2017.
A run of 23 goals in 45 games in his first EFL season saw him earn a big money move to Bristol City, though he struggled for game time at Ashton Gate. He would then have more joy in two seasons at Peterborough United, scoring 21 in 71 games for the Posh.
MK Dons and Doncaster Rovers shared the points after a 1-1 draw at Stadium MK in which both teams finished with ten men.
In the Dons’ first game since Mike Williamson left in midweek to join Carlisle, caretaker manager Dean Lewington saw his hopes of victory raised when Doncaster’s Harry Clifton was sent off early on before Ellis Harrison put his side in front.
But Harrison would himself be sent off just after half time, and the Dons’ couldn’t hold out to take three points as Tom Anderson’s header brought Doncaster level late on.
The result is the Dons’ first draw of the new League Two season, with the team having picked up 7 points from the first 7 and seeing them sit in 19th position in the developing table.
The game against Rovers came after a busy week off-pitch at Stadium MK. Rumours first emerged on Tuesday that the club’s Head Coach Williamson was of interest to Carlisle United, and the news would soon be confirmed, with Williamson moving to Cumbria in a move announced on Thursday.
Club captain Lewington duly took temporary charge, doing so for the third time but the first time where he was taking charge of a home match.
His reshuffled side included starts for MJ Williams and Ellis Harrison, neither of whom had started a league game so far this season, but against a Doncaster side who began the day 6th and who hadn’t played in over a week, the Dons picked up an early boost when the visitors were reduced to ten men inside ten minutes.
Clifton had already been shown an early booking for a foul on Harrison, when a second foul by Clifton, also on Harrison, duly earned him a second yellow card and the consequent red.
This saw MK Dons face a different dynamic in trying to unlock a tightly packed Doncaster defensive line, which proved a stubborn barrier for the home side in the early moments after the dismissal.
Doncaster would break and get the ball in the back of the net but for a foul on goalkeeper Tom McGill in the build-up, before the Dons soon began to up the tempo. A few long range hits were blocked but much closer was Joe Tomlinson, who saw a decent strike dipping towards goal and having to be turned over by Doncaster keeper Ted Sharman-Lowe.
It would be the Dons that would ultimately strike first, doing so just after half an hour. A flowing move down the right saw Aaron Nemane pick the ball up, play a one-two to create space and play in a firm low cross for Harrison to tap home.
MK Dons would also see a goal disallowed, with Conor Lemonhaigh-Evans flagged offside before he rounded the keeper and finished, while the visitors showed a degree of danger with Jordan Gibson missing the target with some ambitious strikes from range.
But with the game still 1-0, MK Dons’ position became less secure when they were reduced to ten themselves. A high and late foot by Harrison caught away captain Owen Bailey, and the referee immediately responded by sending off the Dons’ scorer.
Despite this, MK Dons nearly found a second goal immediately afterwards, as a fast break released Alex Gilbey, who saw a strike denied by Sharman-Lowe.
Doncaster duly made a triple change in an attempt to seize the initiative, changing to a system featuring wing-backs and two strikers.
McGill was forced into stops to keep out Ephraim Yeboah and Lee Molyneux, with the latter then seeing a further drive repelled by McGill and another dangerous cross just prodded wide.
But pressure told for the visitors, who equalised with less than ten minutes of the 90 to go. From a corner, Anderson reached Joe Sbarra’s delivery first and sent a header into the bottom corner to land the equaliser.
Doncaster nearly prized the points out of the Dons’ grasp in the very last minute of five added on, as a deep cross picked out Jay McGrath, who couldn’t keep the header on target.
But a draw was ultimately the final score, with MK Dons now facing a week ahead of their next game against Bromley where they look to see if Lewington will remain in post for the trip to South East London or if they will find the new occupant of the Stadium MK hot seat.
MK Dons: McGill – Tucker, Offord, Maguire – Nemane (Ilunga 70), Kelly (Finch 56), Williams, Tomlinson – Lemonhaigh-Evans (White 80), Harrison, Gilbey
Subs not used: Harness, Wearne, Leigh, Tripp
Goal: Harrison (34)
Sent Off: Harrison (51)
Booked: Nemane, Gilbey
Doncaster: Sharman-Lowe – Sterry (Olowu 61), Anderson, McGrath, Fleming (Yeboah 61) – Bailey, Close (Sbarra 70) – Molyneux (Kelly 90), Clifton, Gibson (Sharp 61) – Ironside
Subs not used: Lawlor, Broadbent
Goal: Anderson (82)
Sent Off: Clifton (10)
Booked: Clifton, Yeboah
Police are appealing for witnesses following an incident of a possession of an offensive weapon in Milton Keynes.
The incident happened at around 3pm on Monday (16/9) between Knebworth Gate and Hainhalt Avenue by Giffard Park.
In the incident, two offenders, one on a moped and one on foot, approached the victim and brandished a machete whilst chasing after the victim.
The victim ran towards local shops where the offenders stopped chasing them. Thames Valley Police confirmed that the victim sustained no injuries, and no hospital treatment was required.
The moped is described as a 2006/2007 plate moped in a Khaki green colour.
The first offender is described as a 20-year-old white male, and was wearing a black balaclava, grey windbreaker with black jogging bottoms and black Nike airforce trainers. The second offender is described as a 17-year-old boy and was wearing a black hoodie, with the hood up.
Investigating officer PC William Marrable, based at Milton Keynes police station, said, “I’m appealing to anybody who witnessed this incident to please get in touch with Thames Valley Police.
“I would also ask anyone who may have dash-cam, CCTV or doorbell footage to please contact us if it has captured the incident.
“You can make a report online or call us on 101, quoting reference 43240445669.
“Alternatively, for 100% anonymity, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
