Milton Keynes Dons suffered a tough 4-1 defeat to league leaders Plymouth Argyle at Stadium MK on Saturday (15th October).
The loss consigned the Dons to their fourth defeat in a row, leaving them third from bottom after 13 games.
The Dons started brightly, winning a free kick in the very first minute. Daniel Oyegoke sent the ball down the right flank for Nathan Holland, who whipped a cross into the Plymouth box for Will Grigg to get a flicking header to. The ball sailed across the face of goal and away from danger.
Despite the bright start, the Dons found themselves one goal down by the nine-minute mark. A tame effort from Morgan Whittaker inside the box slipped through Jamie Cumming's hands and just over the line before he could scoop it up.
There was a moment's confusion as the linesman raised his flag for offside after the ball crossed the line, only for the referee to award the goal.
The Dons could have been 2-0 down ten minutes later as Whittaker slipped through the defensive line to collect a neat pass over the top, only to hit his shot wide of the mark.
On the 25th-minute mark, the visitors doubled their lead with a well-worked team passing move that saw Niall Ennis slot the ball beyond the reach of Cumming from the edge of the six-yard box.
The Dons tried to force their way back into the game with a corner after half an hour, with Zak Jules heading the ball towards Daniel Harvie, who was able to direct it towards goal but safely into the hands of Cooper.
Cumming and Oyegoke contributed a vital save and block respectively to prevent Plymouth from adding a third goal on the counter-attack, with the Dons initially giving away possession from a Grigg pass towards Barry at the other end.
With less than eight minutes before the half, however, Finn Azaz's strike extended the visitors' lead to three, piling on further misery for the Dons.
Despite the heavy deficit, the Dons still showed some fight before the half-time break. Will Grigg forced Cooper into diving low as he struck an effort from a tight angle, hitting the side netting as three minutes were added on to the half.
The second half began much like the first played out, with Plymouth immediately on the offensive and flashing a shot across the face of the goal within the first minute of the restart.
Minutes later, however, the Dons finally struck. Barry fed the ball through to Grigg, who ran into the box and slotted the ball perfectly into the bottom corner to pull the home side within two.
The Dons suddenly looked to have some renewed confidence going forward and almost had another chance to score. Grigg fed a pass to Barry who attempted an effort from the edge of the box, with the ball finding the head of Johnson, who forced Cooper into a low save before the linesman's flag was raised for offside.
The fightback was shortlived, however, as Argyle struck before the hour mark. Barry lost possession under pressure, with Azaz taking the ball on completely unchallenged before slotting it into the back of the net, giving the visitors a 4-1 lead with half an hour remaining.
A difficult pass from Oyegoke towards Lewington left the Dons captain out to dry and forced into tripping up Jordan Houghton, leaving Ryan Hardie to take the ball towards goal in a one-on-one with Cumming, with the Dons goalkeeper forcing a save and keeping the opposition at bay.
The Dons were unable to find any more chances in front of goal, with the visitors too strong to overcome, and succumbed to a 4-1 loss in front of their home fans.
The loss sees the Dons equal last season's total for losses, in 33 fewer games, and firmly entrenched in the relegation zone, sitting four points from safety. Questions continue to be asked over the squad, but the Dons will not have much time to dwell on things with the Papa John's Trophy on Tuesday followed by another league fixture at home next Saturday against Wycombe Wanderers.
MK Dons Line-Up: Cumming, Oyegoke, O'Hora, Lewington, Jules, Harvie, Johnson, McEachran (68' Robson), Barry (68' Grant), Holland (68' Dennis), Grigg (81' Smith)
