Our under-21s drew 2-2 away to MK Dons in their second group game of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Tuesday night, before losing 3-1 on penalties.
Ellis Harrison headed the hosts into the lead before Andre Harriman-Annous’ equaliser. Harrison then completed his brace but Nathan Butler-Oyedeji reduced the arrears once more in the first half.
WHAT HAPPENED
It was Butler-Oyedeji who had the first sight of goal, touching a cross wide from Ismeal Kabia after he had been found by Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand.
At the other end, Zane Monlouis carried out his defensive duties to get across and block a shot from Sonny Finch. The resulting corner was hooked over the crossbar by Sam Sherring.
Finch then crossed for Joe Pritchard who hit the post as MK Dons looked for an opener, but we had a chance to take the lead when we won the ball high up the pitch and Oulad M’Hand again found Kabia, whose shot was too tame to trouble Craig MacGillivray.
In the 26th minute, it was 1-0 to MK Dons, Harrison heading in from a Dean Lewington corner.
It took just four minutes for us to respond though as a Butler-Oyedeji shot was parried into the path of Harriman-Annous to equalise.
MK Dons went ahead again two minutes later as Harrison curled a right footed shot past Lucas Martin Nygaard from just inside the area.
But we levelled the scoring again in the 37th minute. Josh Robinson made a good run forward and played the ball to Butler-Oyedeji, who smashed it into the roof of the net.
Josh Nichols came on for Robinson as Mehmet Ali’s one half-time change.
Maldini Kacurri headed wide from a Michal Rosiak corner early in the second half, before Oulad M’Hand had an effort deflected over the bar.
Rosiak came close to scoring with a dipping corner kick moments later, but MacGillivray parried the ball away.
Callum Tripp got back to slide the ball away after Harriman-Annous found Butler-Oyedeji as we searched for a way in front. Nichols then picked out Oulad M’Hand and his cross was cleared by Tripp.
Rosiak bent a free-kick over the bar before Oulad M’Hand slid the ball through to Butler-Oyedeji, but his shot was blocked and went behind for a corner. Butler-Oyedeji then hit the post from close range from the Rosiak delivery.
Albert Wood hit the crossbar from an MK Dons corner before Tripp was forced off with an injury, meaning the home side were reduced to 10 men for the final nine minutes of the game.
Romari Forde and Harrison Dudziak came on for Kabia and Gower respectively with two minutes to go but we were unable to find a winning goal, meaning the tie would be settled for a bonus point on penalties.
In the shootout, we had penalties missed by Rosiak, Oulad M’Hand and Dudziak and one scored by Kacurri. MK Dons were more clinical, Lewington, Tom Carroll and Tommy Leigh scoring to make up for MJ Williams’ miss.
WHAT’S NEXT?
We return to Premier League 2 football against Blackburn Rovers at the Lancashire FA County Ground for a 7pm kick-off on Monday, October 28.
Our final group game of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy takes place at 7.45pm on Tuesday, November 12 away to Colchester United.
LINE-UPS
MK Dons XI: MacGillivray, Pritchard (Wood 75), Lewington (C), Sherring (Lewis-Burgess 51), Williams, Harrison (Leigh 63), Ilunga, Carroll, Singh-Hurditt (Silver 75), Tripp, Finch (Medwynter 63).
Substitutes not used: Harness (GK), White.
Arsenal XI: Martin Nygaard (GK), Robinson (Nichols 46), Kacurri, Monlouis (C), Lewis-Skelly, Rosiak, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, Gower (Dudziak 88), Kabia (Forde 88), Butler-Oyedeji, Harriman-Annous.
Substitutes not used: Okonkwo (GK), Quesada-Thorn, Julienne, Ferdinand.
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