MK Dons 1 Morecambe 0: ​Shrimps’ woes on the road continue

A second-half goal from Jonathan Leko gave MK Dons only their fourth home win of the season and the double over the Shrimps, who once again played some neat football without really troubling the home defence in their 13th away defeat of the campaign.

The Shrimps produced just one shot on target and their lack of quality in the final third, which has been their downfall all season, was there for all to see again.

Boss Derek Adams brought in Pape Souare for his first start in place of Adam Mayor, and Ash Hunter started in place of defender Farrend Rawson.

The decisive goal came on 57 minutes when Leko converted from close range after Harvie had taken advantage of Donald Love's misjudgement of Josh McCeachran's ball down the left, and he produced the perfect cross for the striker to score past the helpless Connor Ripley.

Morecambe started the game on the front foot but It was the home side who looked the more threatening in the early stages, particularly on the counter-attack.

Leko was the first to get a sight of goal when he spun away from Rawson and fired a shot from 25 yards straight at Ripley with just four minutes played.

Three minutes later, Leko tried his luck again but curled an effort well over before Mo Eisa drilled in a low shot straight at Ripley after another quick counter from the home side.

The Shrimps' most threatening moments came after the half hour.

An Oumar Niasse cross from the byline was cut out by Jack Tucker with Ash Hunter coming in at the far post, before Souare volleyed well over from the left-hand side of the box.

The closest the Shrimps came to a goal was a Dan Crowley effort from outside the area that deflected inches wide of the right-hand post with Jamie Cumming stranded.

The Shrimps started the second half sluggishly with Harvie producing a shot that was deflected wide.

On 55 minutes Dynel Simeu went close to getting on the end of Hunter's dangerous free-kick but seconds later the Shrimps went a goal down and it was uphill from there.

Hunter produced the Shrimps' only effort of note on 63 minutes which forced a save from Cumming low to his right but from there it was a series of frustrating attacks.

Souare volleyed wide from the edge of the area and Crowley saw a volley from the edge of the box diverted wide.

But it was the home side who went the closest to adding the game's second goal when Will Grigg tested Ripley with a shot from the left-hand side of the area that the keeper saved neatly with his legs, as the home side held on for a win that saw the Shrimps remain in the bottom four.

MK DONS: Cumming, Watson, Tucker, Lewington, Lawrence, McEachran (Johnson 87), Maghoma, Harvie, Grant (Devoy 82), Eisa (Grigg 71), Leko (Holland 71). Subs not used: Smith, Robson, Ravizzoli.

MORECAMBE: Ripley, Bedeau (Rawson 86), Simeu, Love, Souare (Mayor 60), Weir, Shaw (Austerfield 60), Gibson, Crowley, Niasse (Stockton 60), Hunter (Watts 71). Subs not used: Smith, Delaney.

Ref: T Parsons.