Maguire’s Late Heroics Seal Comeback
The match began disastrously for MK Dons, with Cheltenham racing into a 2-0 lead within the opening 13 minutes. Luke Young opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a thunderous strike from distance, which slipped past Tom McGill’s outstretched fingers despite the goalkeeper’s touch. Seven minutes later, Young’s precise free-kick found Tom Bradbury, who nodded the ball across the face of goal for George Miller to finish from close range.
The Dons halved the deficit midway through the first half when Alex Gilbey converted Scott Hogan’s pinpoint cross with a powerful finish. Hogan thought he had levelled for the hosts shortly after, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Cheltenham nearly restored their two-goal cushion early in the second half, but McGill redeemed himself with a fine save to deny Young from adding a second. This miss proved costly as MK Dons turned up the pressure.
Ellis Harrison brought the Dons level in the 74th minute, slotting home from close range after another excellent delivery from Hogan. With momentum firmly in their favour, the hosts pushed for a winner, and it came in the 86th minute. Maguire was quickest to react during a goalmouth scramble following a corner, poking the ball into the net to complete the comeback.
The result leaves Cheltenham rueing missed chances, while MK Dons continue their impressive run of form as they rise in the League Two standings.
Writer’s View
MK Dons’ resilience and attacking depth were on full display in this dramatic win. Laurence Maguire’s composure under pressure epitomised the team’s determination, and their ability to overturn deficits bodes well for their promotion ambitions. Cheltenham, on the other hand, must find a way to maintain leads and tighten their defence to halt their slump.
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