Milton Keynes Dons suffered a 1-0 defeat to Ipswich Town at Stadium MK despite putting in a spirited display.
The Dons made two changes to the side that lost 5-2 to Sheffield Wednesday last week, with an injured Daniel Harvie replaced by Henry Lawrence and Dawson Devoy returning to the starting line-up in place of Bradley Johnson.
The home side started the match hemmed inside their own half, with the visitors retaining possession well and intercepting the home side's few attempts to break forward, winning themselves an early corner after having a shot deflected inside the penalty box.
They then caused Ipswich a brief scare with a well-placed cross finding Mo Eisa in the box, but the ball bounced up high and was claimed comfortably by Christian Walton in goal.
The visitors had the first real scoring chance in the 8th minute when Conor Chaplin was allowed a clean strike on the edge of the box, but his effort sailed wide of the mark.
Mark Jackson's side then suddenly had a handful of consecutive chances on goal from close range, only to see Eisa, Jonathan Leko and Sullay Kaikai all denied by blocks or Walton's saves, to the astonishment of everyone in the home sections of the stadium.
Leif Davis then had two efforts in the Dons' half moments later, seeing his free kick hit the Dons' defensive wall before his follow-up shot sailed well wide of the intended target.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring, with Sam Morsy unleashing a rocket of a shot from the edge of the box that flew into the far bottom corner of Jamie Cumming's goal. The outstretched Dons keeper could do nothing about it, giving Ipswich a 1-0 lead after 26 minutes of play.
Despite going a goal down, the Dons continued to work their way forward with balls sent into the Ipswich box. Walton claimed a header from a corner and Leko mis-hit a shot that could have caused trouble, keeping the home side fighting their way back.
Ipswich thought they had extended their lead minutes before the break, but the linesman's flag had been raised just before the ball was tapped into the net.
Despite a couple of corners and free kicks in the right half, the Dons could not pull a goal back before the half-time break, heading inside a goal down after the first 45 minutes.
The visitors started the second half firmly on the front foot, with substitute Massimo Luongo striking a shot from the edge of the box over the bar just a minute into the restart.
A minute later and both Morsy and Nathan Broadhead could have extended Ipswich's lead. Morsy received a pass from a free kick, ran forward and smashed a strong effort low, forcing Cumming into a crucial save.
The ball rebounded to Broadhead at close range, but the Ipswich man lifted his effort over the bar and out for a goal kick.
George Hirst then made Cumming work with a dipping shot from outside the box, with the Dons keeper needing to tip the ball over the bar and out for a corner.
Kaikai gave the Dons some reprieve as he was brought down about 25 yards out from the Ipswich box, earning a free kick in the process. The former Wycombe Wanderers man took the dead ball himself and came agonisingly close, with his effort narrowly going wide at the near post.
Jamie Cumming made an excellent double save in the 75th minute to keep the scoreline at 1-0, giving the Dons some slight hope of pulling a goal back as time began to wind down.
Kaikai sent a threatening cross around the Ipswich backline, with Eisa in the centre, but he was unable to reach the ball with a foot and it sailed out for a throw.
Ipswich threatened themselves with a free kick deep in the Dons' half. The visitors could not create enough to worry the Dons defence and gave away a free kick as the Dons began to break free of the pressure moments later.
Kaikai then earned his side a free kick 30 yards out as regulation time ended. Josh McEachran took it, forcing Walton to drop to his knees and claim the ball out of the air near to bottom near-post.
The Dons put in a much better performance overall compared to their second half against Sheffield Wednesday, but they were unable to find a way past Walton before time ran out, giving Ipswich a 1-0 win and all three points.
MK Dons Line-Up: Cumming, Watson, Tucker, Jules, Lawrence, McEachran, Devoy (73' Burns), Maghoma, Leko (78' Holland), Kaikai, Eisa (88' Grigg)
