Ellis Harrison scored late to give Milton Keynes Dons a 1-0 victory over Colchester United, on a day that Dean Lewington claimed a historical record with the club.
The real story of the match revolved around team captain and club legend Lewington, who overtook John Trollope for the most league appearances for a single club, with his 771st since the 2004 rebrand (800th league appearance altogether).
The match began with the Dons controlling the majority of possession in the visitors' half, but with little to show for it through the opening nine minutes.
Max Dean had a hopeful chance on the edge of the box, controlling a lofted pass from Lewington on his best before turning and striking on the volley, seeing his effort go over the bar.
A minute later and Warren O'Hora closed down a Colchester shot from range, with the visitors building some pressure in and around the Dons' area.
Dean was involved again moments later, collecting a pass from Cameron Norman just inside the box, turning and striking low but seeing the ball sail wide of the post.
Jonathan Leko had his own chance within 15 minutes, receiving the ball out wide before cutting inside and striking cleanly. There wasn't enough curl on the shot, though, and it went wide.
Alex Gilbey will have felt that should have scored with two consecutive efforts bravely saved by Goodman in goal. Both struck with powerful, but unable to beat the keeper.
Leko came close from inside the box, seeing his effort blocked and fall to Joe Tomlinson, who struck the ball hard against the post, with the score remaining 0-0 at the half-hour mark.
He was involved once again minutes later, with the perfect one-timer opportunity after receiving the ball over the time. He opted to control the ball on the ground instead and was closed down quickly by a defender, who blocked his effort and forced a corner.
After a period of sustained pressure, the Dons had to weather some themselves as Colchester began to overrun their defensive line. Cooper managed to get a long-range effort away but it sailed comfortably towards Craig MacGilivray, who held it firmly.
Dean once again came close to scoring, only to see his strong effort blocked by a flying defender. Minutes into added time and Colchester threatened, with Cooper bearing down on a ball into the box, seeing MacGilivray dive onto the ball just in time.
Moments later, Dean sent another curling shot just wide of the mark.
The second half start much like the first ended, with the Dons doggedly determined to pressure their opponents. Norman had a chance to open the scoring, heading a Leko cross from deep in the area but seeing it curl away from the goalmouth and cleared away for a corner.
Dean then took a chance from range, with the keeper diving for it. The shot took a deflection on the way, sending it out for another corner.
Norman and Tomlinson had their own chances to score the opener, with the former unable to guide a perfectly placed cross goalwards while the latter's strike sailed over the crossbar.
Tomlinson then forced the keeper to push the ball aside and out for a corner after his close range corner effort couldn't pick out a Dons player.
Just seconds after coming on as a substitute, Mo Eisa came agonisingly close to earning an assist as he collected the ball and tapped a pass towards Dean under pressure.
Dean's sliding effort looked set for the goal but took a small deflection, sending it wide for a corner.
The Dons continued to maintain pressure on their opponents, but were struggling to find the end product on their efforts. The visitors reverted to counterattacking tactics, but were kept largely contained in their own half.
Pressure continued from the home side, with MJ Williams trying his luck from distance with less than five minutes left in regulation.
The deadlock was finally broken with less than two minutes remaining, as a free kick deep in Colchester's half sailed over a crowded penalty area, with substitute Ellis Harrison there by the back post to tap home.
Colchester came close to pulling level in added time, with their first corner of the night hitting the crossbar. The visitors then thought they had equalised moments later, only to see the linesman's flag raised for offside.
That was to be the last moment in the match as the referee's whistle confirmed the Dons had claimed all three points, were unbeaten in eight matches and now sit inside the playoff spots, with one point and a game in hand separating them from sixth place.
MK Dons Lineup: MacGilivray, Tomlinson, Norman (78' Harrison), O'Hora, Lewington, Williams, Robson, Gilbey, Payne, Leko (69' Eisa), Dean
