Five-star MK Dons thrash Harrogate

Posted Wednesday, October 02, 2024 by PA

MK Dons hammered Harrogate 5-1 to register a first away win since their last visit to Wetherby Road – a 5-3 triumph in April.

The Buckinghamshire outfit went into this contest having only scored one league goal on the road all season but were 3-0 up at the break thanks to Tommy Leigh, Joe White and Alex Gilbey.

A Luke Offord own goal then proved the only blemish of the night before Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and substitute Sonny Finch wrapped up the rout late on.

Leigh bagged his first goal since a summer move from Accrington just past the half-hour mark, crashing into the roof of the net from eight yards after White and Joe Tomlinson combined to create the chance.

Two goals in first-half stoppage time then placed Dons firmly in the ascendancy.

On-loan Newcastle winger White found an inviting goal after Leigh had hit a post with the outside of his right boot having been sent clear by Gilbey.

The latter then added a third when he raced on to a Leigh through ball and confidently beat home goalkeeper James Belshaw from 12 yards.

Offord then horribly sliced Stephen Duke-McKenna’s pull-back from the left byline over the head of a helpless Tom McGill on 73 minutes, meaning MK have kept just one clean sheet in their last 22 away games.

But Lemonheigh-Evans found the net in the 88th minute from 10 yards after Belshaw had saved a Finch shot, with the on-loan Middlesbrough teenager going on to claim his first senior goal with an emphatic
finish having been sent clear on goal again by Aaron Nemane.