Point ticks by in late drama

TOUCH AND GO...new signing Tope Obadeyi attempts to skip beyond an MK Dons challenge. PICTURES by ALAN HOWARTH

PLAY to the final whistle, the old adage goes.

For all their hard work and fierce devotion to the art of defending from the front, Athletic didn't quite manage that.

Connor Ripley had not been seriously worried up until the moment Nicky Maynard smashed in only his second goal of the season, five minutes and 10 seconds into added time of an forgettable contest.

A cross was allowed to come into the box from left-back George Williams and a half-clearance fell within range of the substitute Maynard, a former West Ham and Cardiff forward who has accumulated almost £6.5million in transfer fees across his career.

The volley across Ripley from 15 yards out was emphatic. It also left a sour taste, though.

Referee Darren Handley allowed play to go on well beyond the minimum of four added minutes that were announced.

The substitution of hard-grafting Paul Green for Lee Croft accounted for some of that additional time and perhaps more was allocated thanks to a conversation admonishing Dons boss Robbie Neilson for throwing a replacement ball onto the field of play.

Still, Chesterfield were probably thinking themselves unfortunate to concede in added time three days earlier when Peter Clarke was the hero.

BALANCE

The pity from Athletic's point of view here was that a point - which on balance was what the honest yet uninspiring performance deserved - would have taken the club out of the bottom-four for the first time since September 24.

Athletic made two changes to the side which started in the win at Chesterfield.

Anthony Gerrard's one-match ban meant a return for Green in midfield, with Ryan McLaughlin at right-back and Brian Wilson at centre-back, while Ryan Flynn was on the bench with Tope Obadeyi in for his first start for the club since joining on deadline day a week earlier.

Obadeyi, who moved into a front two alongside Amadi-Holloway for the second half, lost his bearings when miscuing an early header from a Green delivery.

Rob Hunt then took a clattering from George Baldock that could and probably should have earned the full-back a booking.

He was already on a yellow card after an earlier foul on Ousmane Fane and can count himself fortunate not to have been dismissed after only eight minutes.

Athletic were trying to use the full width of the pitch at Stadium MK but it was the hosts who created a pair of chances in quick succession.

Dean Bowditch dawdled after being sent in on goal to the left of Ripley and was crowded out before hitting a shot; next, Bowditch's cross from the right was an accurate one, but Kieran Agard swiped at thin air under pressure when well-placed centrally and only eight yards out.

NARROW

Operating in a narrow system, Neilson's side appeared to quickly run out of ideas and could have been punished by Amadi-Holloway after 41 minutes.

Chris Taylor's cross from the left landed perfectly on his head on the penalty spot, but the glancing effort drifted two feet wide of the far post.

If the first half was tepid, the second was a snooze-fest.

Athletic held their own, but never really got going, possibly carrying the fatigue of a 10-man effort for 45 minutes at Chesterfield.

Clarke defended manfully, but also picked up an eighth booking of the season just after the hour.

Two more yellow cards before March 12 and the captain will serve a two-match ban.

Darius Osei added some energy and one enterprising run ended with a low shot that travelled well wide of goal.

The gulf in experience off the bench was shown not only through Maynard, but also ex-Arsenal man Chuks Aneke, who added plenty of drive and threat from midfield for the hosts.

Clarke blocked one effort well from Aneke, who curled a 20-yard shot wide as the Dons turned up the heat.

Then, just when Athletic appeared to have a point in the bag, came Maynard's moment of class.

IN A NUTSHELL: Athletic were solid yet rarely inspiring.