MK Dons picked up a first win in 5 games as they just beat Chesterfield 2-1 in Derbyshire.
First half goals by Callum Hendry and Joe White gave the visitors a two goal lead at the break as they sought to bounce back from a run of one point in four games.
Chesterfield pulled a goal back when Darren Oldaker, who was sent off in the reverse fixture in early December, swept home a fine free-kick. But despite a few late near-misses, MK Dons held out to take victory on their visit to the SMH Group Stadium.
The three points means MK Dons are now just 3 points off the play-offs, albeit down in 11th as the division continues to remain congested as a busy period in the football calendar continues to develop.
Proceedings began in a lively manner, with the recalled Ellis Harrison having a shot blocked for the visitors before Chesterfield’s Dilan Markanday had a firm strike tipped wide by MK Dons keeper Tom McGill.
MK Dons would strike first with a goal in the 18th minute. The visitors won a free-kick for a foul on Joe White and a quickly taken kick by Liam Kelly released Hendry, who evaded a visiting defender before curling a strike into the back of the net.
Chances were being created at either end as the game continued. Harrison saw a strike palmed wide by Chesterfield goalkeeper Max Thompson, before Armando Dobra saw a strike fly wide via a deflection and McGill made a fine stop to keep out Tom Naylor.
Just before half-time, MK Dons found themselves a chance that they took as they moved two goals ahead. A pass infield by Joe Tomlinson skipped past Alex Gilbey but found White, with the Newcastle loanee able to get space for a shot and drill a strike that went beyond his fellow Magpie loanee Thompson for 2-0.
The Dons had chances for a third after the break, with Hendry glancing one header wide before the scorer of the Dons’ first goal had a strike well saved by Thompson.
Markanday saw a strike just clear the bar before Chesterfield had a goal back with just under 15 minutes remaining. The hosts won a free-kick on the edge of the box and Oldaker saw a strike sweep its way into the top corner.
Chesterfield had chances to find an equaliser as the game carried on, with Tim Akinola lashing wide before Liam Mandeville’s deflected strike lead to a major scramble at the back post where the ball just failed to go over the line before the Dons cleared.
MK Dons ultimately saw the job through, getting the win over the line. The team will seek to make it back-to-back wins when they welcome Salford City to Stadium MK on Saturday.
Trains operated by Avanti West Coast on the line via Milton Keynes are set to be affected by strike action.
Members of the RMT trade union have announced train managers represented by the union will strike today (31/12) and on January 2nd, with further ongoing action expected further on Sundays into May 2025.
The action was announced earlier this month as part of a dispute over enhanced payments for rest day working.
Avanti West Coast have said in a statement that they recommend avoiding travelling on the affected days.
In their statement, they said, “This New Year, we strongly recommend you travel either side of the strike dates. If you booked tickets to travel with Avanti West Coast on 31 December or 2 January before the industrial action was announced on 17 December, you can now use them to travel any time from Monday 30 December to Saturday 4 January inclusive.
“Alternatively, if you no longer wish to travel due to the strike action, you can claim a full refund of your prebooked tickets from where you bought them.”
The strikes means that there is a significant reduction in Avanti West Coast trains in operation on the affected strike days.
A mix of engineering works and the strikes means that today (31/12), Avanti will be limiting operations to just three trains an hour out of London Euston, with one each going to Birmingham, Manchester and Preston, and a limited service going onwards from Preston to Glasgow. The last departures from Euston will be at around 5pm.
As for January 2nd, Avanti confirmed they plan to run three trains per hour to and from London Euston: one to each of Wolverhampton (via Birmingham), Crewe and Manchester. It is also the case that the last departures from Euston will be at around 5pm.
Pre-planned engineering works means no services are in operation to Liverpool, but the reductions also means no services run by Avanti to North Wales, Blackpool or Edinburgh.
The announced plans for strikes on Sundays between January and May 2025 will be confirmed by the operator in due course.
In a statement, Kathryn O’Brien, Executive Director of Customer Experience at Avanti West Coast, said, “We’re disappointed by the RMT calling strike action on 31 December and 2 January. Our customers will face significantly disrupted journeys as a result, and I would like to thank them for their patience and understanding.
“On the two strike days we’ll have a significantly reduced service, so customers with tickets for 31 December or 2 January are strongly advised to travel on alternative dates or claim a full fee-free refund. We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.”
RMT have argued that Avanti failed to address their concerns adequately, leaving them with no choice but to call the strike action.
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said, “Avanti West Coast created this dispute by ignoring train managers’ concerns and presenting offers those members deemed unacceptable.
“The company must come forward with a revised proposal so we can avoid more strike action further into 2025.”
The Met Office have issued yellow weather warnings for southern England on New Year’s Day, with the area including around Milton Keynes expected to experience strong wind.
The warning for southern England is in place between midnight and 3pm on New Year’s Day tomorrow.
Weather warnings do not include New Year’s Eve itself, although today’s forecast (31/12/24) is for strong winds for most of the day in excess of 40mph.
A period of unsettled weather is having effects elsewhere in the UK, with planned New Year’s celebrations, street parties and fireworks in Edinburgh cancelled and doubts raised over the annual New Year’s firework display in London, although at present it is still scheduled to go ahead.
Discussing the New Year’s Day system, the Met Office said, “Strong southwesterly winds are expected overnight and during Wednesday. The strongest winds are expected across coastal regions in the west and south of the warning area, where gusts of 65-75 mph are possible.
“Inland, highest gusts will typically be between 45 and 55 mph, but possibly 60 mph in places, particularly in association with the passage of squally cold front which will bring a band of heavy rain southwards. The wind is expected to ease quickly from the north through the course of the day as this cold front passes.”
Guidance issued for yellow weather warnings for wind includes notes that there is a small chance of longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected, that there is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, and that there is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.
In addition, there is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties, while there is also a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris, and a small chance that some roads and bridges could close.
The weather is forecast to change rapidly when the storm front passes. From January 2nd, temperatures are forecast to plummet, going from over 10 degrees C down to around 3, with negative overnight temperatures and icy roads anticipated.
Police have released a CCTV image of a man officers would like to speak to following an assault in Milton Keynes.
The image’s release is part of Thames Valley Police’s appeal into an incident that happened in a pub in the city on Christmas Day.
The incident happened at around 3.50pm on Christmas Day at Wavendon Arms in Newport Road in Wavendon on the edge of Milton Keynes.
During the incident, a man was abusive and assaulted a person at the pub. Thames Valley Police confirmed that the victim, who was a man in his thirties, did not sustain injuries.
Investigating officer PC James Ferriman said: “I am appealing to anyone who recognises the man pictured as he may have vital information to assist us with our enquiries.
“If this is you, please come forward as soon as possible.
“If you have any information relating to this incident, please call 101 or report it online, quoting 43240622823.
“Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via its website.”
MK Dons head coach Scott Lindsey felt his side needed to be more assertive after taking the lead against Crewe.
The Dons had taken the lead against Crewe early on through Joe White’s ninth minute goal, but the team were unable to build on it before Jamie Knight-Lebel’s equaliser in the second half.
Speaking after the game, Lindsey said he felt his side could’ve done more to press home the advantage they had won early on.
He said, “I thought we didn’t step forward when we should’ve. We get the first goal quite early and I think that after we scored, we spent the next ten minutes in our half of the pitch. So I want us to be braver. I want us to step forward, keep attacking, keep playing and keep creating opportunities for us to go and get two goals and make it harder for the opposition.
“But we seemed to step backwards a little bit and invite Crewe onto us, and we spent the next ten minutes in our half of the pitch. So I was disappointed by that. I wanted to show a little more bravery after the first goal.”
Lindsey also said he had mixed views on the second half, feeling a slow start was seen around the equaliser but that he felt the side did improve in the final stages against a tricky defence to play against.
“Second half, I didn’t think we started the half very well. We huffed and puffed a little bit and then we kind of got a little bit more control through the second half. I think there was some good passages and right at the end, probably last five minutes, we looked like the team that were trying to win it.
“We didn’t create loads but I must admit we just played against a really solid defence in Crewe. Before the game, they were third in the division for clean sheets.
“They’re a really hard nut to crack and they don’t allow you much space or to cross balls or get in behind them or find spaces in the box. We tried very hard to do that but come up against a good team. They were fourth in the league before we played them for a reason – they’re a good side.”
Reflecting on proceedings as a whole, Lindsey said he felt that there were positive and negative qualities on display.
He said, ”I’m really proud of how we played in moments of that game and we’re getting there. But I want us to be braver. I want us to really step forward. When you go 1-0 up, go get another one, do you know what I mean? We looked a little bit nervy and wanted to defend that 1-0 but I didn’t. I wanted to step forward.”
He also said, “It’s an improvement from this performance today. I liked lots of today and it’s a work in progress. I’m new in the job and it’s a new squad in many ways, so it’s a work in progress. We played against a good side today and there were moments when they looked good and we looked good.”
