MK Dons 2

Bristol Rovers 1

Despite hitting the woodwork twice, Rovers slipped to a fifth consecutive defeat at MK Dons this afternoon.

The home side took the lead through Peter Leven's 70th minute penalty and added a second through Jason Puncheon before substitute Chris Lines scored a last minute consolation goal for Paul Trollope's side.

While the home side enjoyed the majority of early possession, they didn't really trouble Rovers defence.

It was Paul Trollope's side who created the first opportunity, in fact, but Stuart Campbell's long range effort flew over the crossbar.

At the other end Byron Anthony blocked a shot from David McCracken before Campbell's 19th minute corner from the right caused problems in the home defence. They failed to pick up Steve Elliott and the central defender rose above everyone to power a header against the bar.

Jeff Hughes blocked a long range effort from Stephen Gleeson but Rovers, looking good going forward, almost scored when Jo Kuffour threaded the ball through to Andy Williams, but the striker couldn't get any power into his first time effort allowing Willy Gueret to save comfortably.

Aaron Wilbraham then blocked a fierce near post volley from Kuffour and Elliot blocked a Jemaine Easter effort at the other end.

The home side wasted a golden opportunity to take the lad when the unmarked Peter leven picked up the ball from a corner on the left but saw his hurried shot fly over the bar.

Williams saw a left foot shot blocked in another Rovers attack and Gueret denied Kuffour a goal when he touched the ball away as the striker was about to shoot.

The final action of the half saw Easter pull an angled drive of the far post.

Both sides were out of the blocks quickly at the start of the second half with David McCracken heading over for the home side and Williams hitting an angled drive wide of the upright at the other end.

Wright then found Kuffour with a pinpoint cross only for the striker's header to come back into play off the bar.

Easter hit a shot wide of the target before Byron Anthony crashed a shot into the side netting when up in support of the attack.

However the home side made the breakthrough on 70 minutes when Elliott was adjudged to have pushed Mathias Doumbe and Leven sent Andersen the wrong way with his spot kick.

As Rovers pushed men forward in search of an equaliser and were left exposed a minute from time when Puncheon swept the ball past Andersen from twenty yards to double the home side's advantage.

There was still time for Rovers to grab a consolation goal when Lines headed home a Campbell corner, but it came too late to affect the outcome.

Team: Mikkel Andersen, Carl Regan, Byron Anthony, Steve Elliott, Aaron Lescott, Andy Williams (Chris Dickson, 74), Mark Wright, Stuart Campbell, Dominic Blizzard (Chris Lines, 74) Jeff Hughes (Darryl Duffy, 79), Jo Kuffour

Substitutes: Charlie Reece, Charlie Clough, Ben Swallow, Rhys Evans

Yellow card; Elliott

MK Dons: Willy Gueret, Dean Lewington, Mathias Doumbe, David McCracken, Stephen Gleeson (Luke Howell, 90), Jermaine Easter (Sam Baldock 65), Aaron Wilbraham, Jason Puncheon, Peter Leven, Danny Swailes, Martin Devaney (Aaron Doran, 90)

Substitutes: Sam Baldock, Mark Carrington, Lewis Gobbern, Stuart Searle, Sol Davis, Luke Howell, Aaron Doran

Referee: Danny McDermid

Attendance: 9,711

Rovers Fans: 734