A Lucky Escape MK Dons 3-2 Peterborough

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Posh are lucky to still be in with a chance of making the playoff final after putting in an abject performance against an impre sive MK Dons side at Stadium MK.The wait was finally over. Hoards of Posh fans had invaded Stadium MK and there was a real sense of nerves before the game. It had been a long time since Posh had been in a playoff situation. Many fansthat werethere had not experienced it before. Ferguson trusted his usual Posh starting line-up to cope with the pre sure though. There were no real tactical surprises in his selection Posh were there to play to their strengths: attack. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing continued up-front partnering Craig Mackail-Smith whilst Lee Tomlin dropped back onto the right prong of the central midfield pairing, alongside Tommy Rowe.At the start of playoff campaigns you want your team to be able to settle down, have some sustained po se sion and grow into a match. For Peterborough, though, it started in the worst po sible circumstances. Charlie Lee and Joe Lewis both attempted to get to the same ball and ended up colliding with each other. It seemed like Ariel Jurado Jersey a fairly innocuous collisions but both players stayed down, clutching their knees and when they finally did return to their feet neither seemed comfortable. This was not start that Posh would have wanted.A few moments later, it was. After Mark Little had exchanged pa ses down the right hand side he collected the ball and ran past Dean Lewington. In these positions Little can often be susceptible to rushing his final ball but this time he cut the ball back to Mendez-Laing, who was free inside the area, the Wolves loanee hit the ball first time but the shot was saved by David Martin, the hero when the sides met in the league at Stadium: MK, who stretched out a right arm to palm the ball clear. He may have thought the danger was clear but CRAIG MACKAIL-SMITH has been in deadly form this season and when you are on form chances like this seem to fall to you. With an open goal Mackail-Smith just had to apply the finishing touches to give Posh an early advantage. The goal had left everyone stunned. In truth the Posh players did not look like they were expecting to be in front so early. But the goal had given them the confidence to go on in search of more. MK were sticking to their principles and playing pa sing football but they were not looking confident and had been guilty of giving po se sion away cheaply in the early stages. The hosts were almost made to pay an even heavier price for their sluggish start too. George Boyd tried his luck from range but a routine stop from Martin kept him out before Mackail-Smith was released by Mendez-Laing, Kyle Bird Jersey after an excellent run. Letting the ball run acro s his body Mackail-Smith had space for the shot and as it bobbled up it sat nicely for him to it. With his weaker foot he smashed the ball goalwards but didnt manage to find the target.MK Dons were really struggling to react to the goal they had conceded and Lee Tomlin spotted his opportunity to test Martin after a poor pa s from Sean OHanlon. The long-range drive from Tomlin was well struck and the MK Dons keeper did very well to hold onto the ball to stop the onrushing Mendez-Laing having a chance to double the lead. The hosts needed a spark. Something to give them hope. Anything to settle the nerves. And with almost half an hour played they did get this. After some intricate pa sing on the edge of the Peterborough area saw Mathias Doumbe, who was lucky to still be on the pitch after a two footed lunge on Mendez-Laing, allowed the space to Jonathan Hernandez Jersey move forward and attack Sam Baldock sensed danger. Moving to the near post he was in space and Doumbes low pa s seemed to be heading straight into his path. Baldock stretched, sliding to make contact with the ball but in the end could only make a slight deviation to the balls path and it went all the way through the Posh box.With this chance the game changed. All of a sudden MK Dons had belief and their play was penning Posh back inside their own half. With the momentum MK went in search of the equaliser. And their chances were further strengthened when Gabriel Zakuani had to substituted off after seemingly aggravating a shoulder injury that has troubled him all season. Kelvin Langmead was his replacement.The hosts were well and truly on top now and for Posh it was a question of making it to half-time with Joe Palumbo Jersey their lead still intact. MK Dons were posing Posh a threat from set-pieces, as well as in open play, and when Dean Lewingtons corner was met by the head of OHanlon chaos ensued. With the ball surrounded by players Mathias Doumbe managed to get his head to it but a fantastic, point-blank save from Lewis kept the score level.It was not long before the keeper was called into action again either. Again a set-piece wasnt cleared and as the ball dropped to Doumbe, in close proxamity to the goal, he flicked a leg at it. As the ball looped up, taking a deflection off Lewis shoulder in the proce s, it seemed that the equaliser had came but the bar intervened, deflecting the ball out for another MK Dons corner.As the half-time whistle went Posh had rode their luck to still be level. They didnt deserve the lead they had and if their performances were not improved then trouble seemed imminent. As the half went on MKs dominance on proceedings became more and more evident. Ferguson needed to see an improvement.The half-time break would have given Darren Ferguson a chance to reorganise his side for the second half. Unfortunately Joe Lewis injury was too severe for him to continue and Paul Jones had to be introduced. 2 of Poshs back 5 had already had to be changed and, in a defence that is notorious for leaking goals, this was the exact thing that Ferguson would have wanted to avoid at this stage of the season. The task of reorganising the team had just grown even harder.EXCEPTIONAL: Mark Little was in a minority of blue shirted players that came out of the game with any credit.The second half could hardly have started in a worse fashion for Posh. Dean Lewington put over a fairly hopeful deep cro s to the back post but Tommy Rowe was positioned well. Inexplicably though Adrian Sampson Jersey he headed the ball back acro s goal. Jones rushed out to collect, fumbled andtripped over as the ball feel to DANIEL POWELL.Even adespairing Ryan Bennett could not keep the ball from heading over the line.It was a ma sive blow. Fergusons team talk had been undone and MK Dons now had the bit between their teeth. Surging forward they went in search of more and did not need to wait long to get the lead they wanted either. Tommy Rowe gave away a cheap foul 30 yards out, allowing SAM BALDOCK a shot on goal from range. It was hardly a dangerous position in normal circumstances. Baldock, however, drew aim, hopeful that the Peterborough United wall would break up. It did. The ba