Bromley suffered a heavy 4-1 away defeat to MK Dons at Stadium MK in a blow to their hopes of climbing out of League One’s relegation zone.
Aaron Collins restored MK Dons’ lead in the 62nd minute after he dispossessed Omar Sowunmi and slotted his shot into the far-bottom right corner, after his initial 40th-minute strike had been cancelled out by Mitch Pinnock’s equalising free-kick in the only minute of first-half additional time.
Alex Gilbey headed in MK Dons’ third goal from Ben Wiles’ 71st-minute cross, before Charlie Goode wrapped up the hosts’ victory with a 79th-minute strike.
MK Dons’ win lifted them up to 14th in the table, whilst Bromley remained third-bottom in 22nd position with a two-point deficit to safety.
Following a delay due to a sprinkler issue in the Bromley half which was initially by Pinnock moments before kick-off, MK Dons quickly settled as Sam Nombe fired over in the second minute, before Samuel Silvera and Collins saw shots saved by Grant Smith.
Smith then denied Nombe with a 17th-minute block before Charlie Goode rifled over the bar from the subsequent corner.
Bromley experienced a slice of luck in the 21st minute after a free-kick was played across to Gilbey whose shot deflected off Adam Jackson, and looked set to go into the near-bottom right corner until Smith managed to get across in time to deflect the ball away.
Byron Webster’s Ravens meanwhile struggled to carve out many notable chances of their own despite several attacks aside from a wide strike by George Saville in the 29th minute, after he had won a free-kick on the left following a foul from Silvera.
MK Dons though continued to display better energy and won a 39th-minute corner after Nombe’s cross was deflected by Kamarl Grant which forced Smith to deflect behind, before Smith punched the delivery to Gilbey whose dinking direct cross was flicked in by Collins to break the deadlock.
Bromley missed a chance to restore parity before half time after Michael Cheek held off a 43rd-minute challenge, which allowed Marcus Ifill to tee up Victor Adeboyejo who laid off toward Will Hondermarck but the midfielder’s shot was straight into Will Dennis’ arms.
The Ravens eventually found a last-gasp equaliser after Goode fouled Sowunmi just outside the box on the cusp of the additional minute, which led Pinnock to rifle the free-kick low into the far-bottom right corner to restore parity at the break.
MK Dons soon turned up their intensity in the second half as Nombe met a cutback from substitute, Wiles in the 57th minute, before he volleyed a shot wide from an incorrectly given corner by referee – Scott Jackson.
The hosts soon restored their lead in the 62nd minute after Collins dispossessed Sowunmi and bent a tightly-angled shot into the far-bottom right corner.
Bromley’s night got worse in the 71st minute as Gilbey was found unmarked inside the box to thump a header in past Smith from Wiles’ cross on the right flank to open a two-goal lead.
MK Dons proceeded to further reduce their goal difference arrears as Goode met Collins’ pass from the right and lashed his shot into the far left corner to further extend their lead.
Bromley eventually dug deep to avoid a larger loss as they remained two points adrift of safety whilst Pinnock saw an injury-time strike saved, whilst MK Dons opened a five-point gap to the relegation zone – having sat two points above the bottom four before kick-off.
What’s Next?
MK Dons entertain Doncaster Rovers at Stadium MK on Saturday 31 October at 3pm GMT.
Bromley face another tricky away trip on Saturday as they head to fellow strugglers, Wigan in a 3pm kick-off at the Brick Community Stadium, as the third-bottom Ravens face the rock-bottom Latics in a must-win showdown.
Teams
MK Dons: Will Dennis, Marvin Ekpiteta, Charlie Goode, Jack Sanders, Ryan Wintle, Samuel Silvera (Jones 84′), Ibrahim Fullah (Wiles 46′), Alex Gilbey (Barlaser 85′), Eli Campbell (Bramall 85′), Sam Nombe (Patterson 78′), Aaron Collins
Substitutes: Daniel Barlaser, Cohen Bramall, Daniel Crowley, Gethin Jones, Callum Paterson, Sebastian Stacey, Ben Wiles
Bromley: Grant Smith, Marcus Ifill (Jones 61′), Omar Sowunmi, Adam Jackson, Kamarl Grant, Will Hondermarck (McKiernan 62′), Kamil Conteh (Thompson 76′), George Saville, Mitch Pinnock, Victor Adeboyejo (Kabamba 76′). Michael Cheek
Substitutes: Jodi Jones, Nicke Kabamba, Owen Mason, JJ McKiernan, Mickel Miller, Ben Thompson, Corey Whitely
Referee – Scott Jackson
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