MK Dons stage late comeback to beat Colchester

Posted Sunday, August 20, 2023 by PA

Substitute Matt Dennis scored a late winner as MK Dons staged a comeback to beat Colchester 3-2 in Sky Bet League Two.

Dennis fired home in the 10th minute of stoppage time to make it three wins from four for the Dons and move them up to second place in the table.

Ex-Colchester man Alex Gilbey equalised in the 88th minute after Joe Taylor’s brace had cancelled out Mo Eisa’s early opener and put Colchester into the lead.

Eisa kept up his record of scoring in every league game this season to break the deadlock, glancing home a header from Cameron Norman’s cross in the eighth minute.

Colchester responded immediately, though, as Luton loanee Taylor arrived at the back post to convert from Jayden Fevrier’s cross.

Taylor doubled his tally minutes later to put the hosts ahead, finding the net from Junior Tchamadeu’s delivery to make it four goals for the campaign.

The 20-year-old threatened to seal his hat-trick in the 76th minute, but his shot went high and wide after ex-Colchester captain Tommy Smith gifted him an opportunity.

And it proved to be a costly miss as substitute Ash Hunter played the ball into the path of Gilbey, who found his way between two Colchester defenders and chipped the ball over Owen Goodman to bag the leveller.

The winner came in the 100th minute with Hunter providing the assist again to tee-up Dennis, who took one touch before drilling home from the edge of the area.