Martin delighted with ‘brilliant’ point as MK Dons hold leaders Rotherham

MK Dons manager Russell Martin heaped praise on his side for earning “a really big point” with their 1-1 draw at League One leaders Rotherham.

Martin’s side hung on throughout a tough second period to secure a draw as they look to pull away from relegation trouble.​

Freddie Ladapo put Rotherham ahead early on with a powerful effort from the edge of the box but Rhys Healey produced a fine effort to equalise soon after.

Rotherham piled on the pressure after the break but it amounted to nothing with Ladapo spurning a close-range sitter and Ben Wiles’ curler narrowly missing the bottom corner.​

The visitors had the chance to nick a rare away victory in injury time but Millers goalkeeper Daniel Iversen was alert to the danger when Alex Gilbey raced through on goal.​

​Martin said: “I thought we might have nicked all three points but it was a battling point. It’s a brilliant point against top of the league and a team who are very good at what they do.​

“It wasn’t pretty. But I think the conditions were tough and they had done a lot of work on trying to stop us trying to do what we have been doing.​​

“I am really pleased for the boys and really proud of them because they had to come up against something different.​​

“They answered every question put to them and it’s a brilliant point for us.​

“We limited them to very little really. There were balls flashing across the goal and crosses raining in but they defended superbly to a man.​

“It feels like with the mentality we have got now, we can compete. We can go into every game and be competitive.​

“To come away with a point, we’re delighted and we showed a different side to us. That’s the biggest point we have had since we have taken over.​

“We didn’t have as much control in the game in terms of possession. But every game is different but to come away with a point against a team with really good home form, it was really big character and a really big point.”​

​Rotherham manager Paul Warne felt not getting the second goal was critical.​

He said: “It’s disappointing we haven’t won it. This season whenever we’ve got a second goal we go on to win handsomely.​

“This point doesn’t feel a good point but it might be at the end of the season. The lads gave everything. We pressed the ball high up and won the ball back.​

“With a bit of lady luck we could have won the game.​

“We did enough to win. We put the ball in good enough areas and it should have been enough to win a football match. I don’t really know what more we could have done.​”

Ladapo’s 10th-minute opener was his fourth goal in as many matches and 17th of the season.

However, he missed a great second-half chance to win the match for Rotherham when he inexplicably dragged his shot wide after Chiedozie Ogbene’s fine run and cross.​

Warne added: “Freddie will be disappointed he didn’t score. He is allowed to miss one now and again but had it been three or four nil we wouldn’t be talking about it.​

“There is not much I can complain about apart from we didn’t get the second goal.​

“I think MK are a really good team and their league position doesn’t show how good they are. ​

​“Because we are so desperate for a win, they feel a bit low. ​

“We had loads of one v ones in the box and a ricochet would have led to a tap-in but it wasn’t meant to be.”​