MK Dons missed out on victory after conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Tranmere Rovers.

Joe White had put the Dons in front in the opening half an hour and held on to the lead all the way to added time at the end of the second half, when Tranmere substitute Regan Hendry equalised for the visitors.

Victory would’ve seen MK Dons move into the top half and pick up back-to-back wins for the first time all season, but a draw in Scott Lindsey’s first home game in charge saw the team instead end the weekend in 13th position, although they are now unbeaten in three.

The match against Tranmere was the Dons’ first at home with Lindsey as the club’s first team Head Coach, with the former Crawley boss having replaced Mike Williamson in the time since the Dons’ last home game.

Having managed a first win in style when they scored five at Harrogate in midweek, it set up the Dons in a pursuit of their first pair of back-to-back wins this season. They took on a Tranmere side who arrived in Milton Keynes without a win in any of their previous four assignments.

MK Dons had the day’s first major opportunity, as a cross by Joe Tomlinson picked out Connor Lemonhaigh-Evans, who saw his header kept out by Luke McGee in the Tranmere goal.

But the visitors would also cause MK Dons problems. Alex Gilbey ended up heading over a Chris Merrie corner that seemed to be arcing in towards the goal, before Tom McGill denied Kieron Morris from a follow-up corner and a strike by Zak Bradshaw just bobbled wide.

While Tranmere couldn’t find a way through, MK Dons would as they took the lead just after the 20 minute mark. Laurence Maguire picked up the ball inside the Tranmere half and he played a low pass for White to run onto. The Newcastle loanee duly met it with a fine first time strike that he saw crash past McGee to score for the second game in a row.

An even remainder of the half saw the two sides probe in search of an opening. Tranmere came closest when he kept out a Lee O’Connor strike, before White saw an effort in search of a second at the other end just skim wide.

MK Dons would start the second half on the front foot, with Jack Tucker seeing a strike just clear the top of the bar before McGee made a flying stop to thwart Alex Gilbey.

Omari Patrick would see a hit from outside the box just clear the bar, just before Patrick would earn a booking for kicking the ball away.

With just under 20 minutes remaining, Gilbey came close to a second for MK Dons when he met Lemonhaigh-Evans’ cross and saw his header denied at close range by McGee.

Tranmere loudly appealed for a penalty after they felt an effort by substitute Josh Davison was blocked by handled, with a second strike blocked on the line by Tucker.

But with time running out, Tranmere remained in the game and would maximise this when they equalised in the first minute of added time.

After Dons sub Sonny Finch had the ball pinched off him, Tranmere worked the ball out to Tom Davies. His searching ball was flicked on by former MK Dons man Cameron Norman into the path of sub Hendry, who held off his man and fired a low strike across McGill and into the bottom corner.

Despite some extra time due to a delay to the restart, the Dons couldn’t recover from the blow to find a late winner of their own, and the game ended all square, much to MK Dons’ frustration.

MK Dons: McGill – Tucker, Offord, Maguire – Nemane, Lemonhaigh-Evans, Kelly (Williams 82), Tomlinson – White (Carroll 64), Leigh (Finch 64), Gilbey

Subs not used: Harness, Lewington, Ilunga, Tripp

Goal: White (24)

Booked: Lemonhaigh-Evans, Nemane

Tranmere: McGee – O’Connor, Davies, Turnbull – Norman, Merrie, Khan, Bradshaw – Morris (Hendry 77), Dennis (Saunders 64), Patrick (Davison 77)

Subs not used: Murphy, Taylor, Solomon, Wood

Goal: Hendry (90+1)

Booked: Patrick