Milton Keynes Dons 2 Southend United 0

Last updated : 28 December 2008 By Footymad Previewer
MK Dons consolidated their second position in League One thanks to goals from Sean O'Hanlon and Sam Baldock.

O'Hanlon scored with an early header, while Baldock netted his first in two months with a superb free-kick to give Roberto Di Matteo another win, the Dons have lost just two league games in as many months.

Southend may have left wondering what could have been though, they had plenty of chances with Alex Revell, Junior Stanislas and Lee Barnard all guilty of fluffing their lines.

The Dons meanwhile were more ruthless in front of goal, showing why they are title-contenders, winning without ever being at their best.

Dean Lewington returned to the side just over a month after injuring his Achilles in the 3-0 win at Walsall.

His return gave the Dons some much-needed fresh legs after the hard fought win over Bristol Rovers just 48 hours earlier.

They got off to the perfect start, just as against the Gasheads. Peter Leven sent over a decent corner that was headed in at the near post by O'Hanlon.

But if anything the Dons took their foot of the pedal after that and Southend's Revell had two great chances to draw level.

He got his head on Stanislas' corner but was denied by the post. He then controlled a long ball well but the goal at his mercy he screwed wide from just eight yards.

The Dons were having a lot of the possession but in their own half.

When they did get near the Southend goal they looked dangerous, it just wasn't happening enough. Fortunately for Di Matteo they did it more often in the second half.

They were almost instantly rewarded when Mark Wright's low cross was almost sliced into his own net by Adam Barrett, the ball missing the post by a lick of paint.

From the resulting corner Aaron Wilbraham had a goalbound header somehow cleared by a Southend defender, with the Dons claiming a penalty.

They didn't have to wait much longer for a goal though.

Jemal Johnson's pacy burst down the middle earned his side a free-kick and from 30-yards out Baldock hit a lovely flighted shot over the wall which dipped in at the near post.

It allowed the Dons to lower the pace of the game and although Southend did threaten on the break, they didn't create a chance of note until the 75th minute.

Willy Gueret fumbled Stanislas' tame free-kick, the ball fell to Barnard who with the goal gaping fired at the relieved keeper.

Stanislas had a chance himself soon after as he went through one-on-one, but he could only poke his shot at the frame of Gueret again. Proving it was perhaps just not their day.