MK Dons manager Graham Alexander was delighted with his team’s response to a half-time rallying cry as they staged a late comeback to beat Colchester 3-2 in Sky Bet League Two.
Substitute Matt 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.
Alexander was full of praise for the character his side showed, bouncing back from a midweek defeat away at Crawley.
“I take any win, but I think it’s great confidence for the players’ character and personality, which we need to instil and bring out of them,” he said.
“Actually, it’s not instil – it’s there, you can see it in spells. I thought we started the game really well.
“Deservedly 1-0 up and then we just implode for two minutes, which we’ve obviously spoken about before. So that’s something we have to correct.
“I thought we should have come in at half-time in front, but we didn’t and we challenged the players to show the character that’s needed to win a game of football and they’ve done that, so great credit to the players.
“The supporters stayed with us, the fitness of the guys was phenomenal again and we’re delighted with the three points.
“There’s games to win in an easier fashion, without a shadow of a doubt, but the elation – you’ve got to suck that up and sort of add it to your armour because it’s a brilliant way to win.”
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.
Colchester boss Ben Garner felt his team should have been awarded a penalty with the scores level in injury time, when Donell Thomas went down in the area.
“We had opportunities to go further ahead in the game, which we didn’t take,” he said. “I’m also really disappointed with the penalty decision at 2-2.
“It’s a blatant penalty not given. The game goes the other way if that’s the case, but we have to see the game through. We were so young at the end, so young on the pitch.”
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winner as Al-Qadsiah inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday to end their 21-match unbeaten run.
Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh league goal of the season put Al-Nassr ahead, but Al-Qadsiah replied swiftly through Julian Quinones before Aubameyang struck the decisive blow.
The hosts drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home after Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels had spilled a routine catch from Talisca's cross.
However, Al-Nassr's joy was short-lived when Quinones brought down Turki Al Ammar's delivery five minutes later, with the Mexcio winger firing past Bento to level the scores.
Quinones also played a part in the winning goal after brilliantly turning the ball back across goal from Nahitan Nandez's search pass to tee up a simple finish for Aubameyang.
The result sees Al-Qadsiah move level on 22 points with third-placed Al-Nassr, with Al-Shabab also level with them.
Stefano Pioli's Al-Nassr are six points adrift of defending champions and leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand.
Vlahovic out of Juventus clash with Milan
Dusan Vlahovic will miss Juventus' trip to Milan in Serie A this weekend and is also a doubt for the Champions League game at Aston Villa, head coach Thiago Motta has confirmed.
Vlahovic returned from the international break with a muscle problem in his left thigh, and the manager, after he confirmed the Serbian's absence for Saturday's game at San Siro, was asked about his chances of playing on Wednesday at Villa Park.
"I don't know. He definitely won't be there tomorrow. We hope to have him back as soon as possible," Motta told a press conference on Friday.
"Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."
Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.
Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.
"I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.
"This is another reason to push ourselves, to commit that bit more so that these absences don't weigh too heavily."
Juventus go into the game as the only unbeaten side in Serie A but find themselves sixth in the standings in what is so far a very tight title race, with just two points separating Motta's side from leaders Napoli.
"It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.
"We must all try to continue like this. We have to try to get as many positive results as possible."
Milan are one place behind Juve but six points off Motta's side.
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