MK Dons found the goals on Easter Sunday as they beat Plymouth 3-1 at Stadium MK. Goals from Tricia Gould, Laura Mitchell and Mollie Coupar helped Charlie Bill side jump up to 5th in the FAWNL Southern Premiership with 3 games left to go.
After last week’s win over Bridgwater confidence for the Dons has been running high, and once again the Dons started positively in search of goals vs a Tough and stubborn Plymouth side who currently find themselves close to the relegation zone. The fixture itself could have been a banana skin for the Dons, as generally over the last few seasons Plymouth have had the upper hand in results.
But any thoughts of this were put to bed in the 13th minute as Tricia Gould found the back of the net. After great work from Hannah Samuels down the right-hand side, she provided a pinpoint cross to the back post, and Gould did the rest getting in front of her defender, and on the volley hit the ball into the back of the net. 1-0
The host continued to exert their dominance in the first half, and Charlie Bills side looked to get a second goal to put the game to bed. Mollie Coupar popped up to score the 2nd goal of the match and her 26th for the season. After great work from Laura Mitchell her pass split the Plymouth defence, and Mollie found herself with a one on one with the Plymouth keeper. Mollie managed to knock the ball past the keeper as she flew through the air. 2-0
The first half finished with the Dons on top at Stadium MK. The only scare was that Plymouth managed to hit the crossbar from a long-range effort, but apart from that Chloe Sansom in goal had relatively nothing to do. 2-0 HT
But it was all to change in the second half. The Dons started slowly after the break and Plymouth looked to capitalise on this. Charlie Bill looked to change this with two substitutes, but it had a negative effect, as within minutes of this happening the Dons found themselves conceding a goal. This stat could be a slight concern for the coaching staff, as this is not the first time this has happened.
Charlotte Whitmore managed to slot the ball calmly under Sansom, as Chloe looked to rush out of her area to stop the striker’s effort. 2-1
With 10 minutes to go, Argyle looked to get the games equaliser but their hearts were to be broken thanks to Laura Mitchell’s goal in the 83rd minute. After great work from Angelina Nixon who managed to cut inside after a powerful surge, she fired off a shot towards the Plymouth goal, but Laura Mitchell managed to get the slightest deflection of her hip, sending the ball past the Plymouth keeper leaving her flat footed as the ball entered the back of the net. 3-1
Breaking the hearts and the resistance of Plymouth. The Dons managed to see out the remaining minutes we relative ease, seeing them move up to 5th in the league with only 3 games left.
MK Dons: Sansom (C), Warren, Puddick, Biggadike, Rush (Giddings 63), Miles, Gould (Nixon 63), Barratt (McLean 86), Coupar, Mitchell (Wilson 86), Samuels
Subs – Nixon, Giddings, McLean, Davies, Wilson
Goals: Gould – 20, Coupar – 31 , Mitchell – 82,
Plymouth : Read, Train, Papaioannou (C), Whitmore, Lane, Pollock, Wilson, Crawford, Ireland, McDonnell, Greenslade
Subs – O’Shea, Cunningham, Cox, Campbell
Goals: Whitmore – 67,
Images: Christopher Foxwell. www.ctfphotography.co.uk/photography
