MK Dons won on penalties in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy with a 3-1 shootout win over the Arsenal under-21s after a 2-2 draw.
In the 90 minutes, Ellis Harrison would put the Dons in front, only for Andre Harriman-Annous to equalise less than five minutes later.
Harrison would quickly put MK Dons back in front, but the game’s fourth goal in just over ten minutes would see Nathan Butler-Oyededi strike a second equaliser for the Arsenal juniors.
The Dons suffered a blow when Callum Tripp was taken off injured, leaving them having to play the final stages a man down.
But the Dons managed to pick up the point for a draw and then the bonus point for winning in the shoot-out, thanks to Craig MacGillivray marking his return to the first-team with three saves.
The result maintains the Dons’ hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds ahead of their final assignment in the competition’s group stage against Leyton Orient in mid-November.
The second of three home games for MK Dons in a week would make up their second assignment in the group stages of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy. Having lost to Colchester in their opener in what turned out to be Mike Williamson’s final game in charge, the Dons knew a defeat would see them at severe risk of a group stage elimination from the competition.
MK Dons opted for a total reshuffle from the weekend’s draw against Tranmere Rovers, with Scott Lindsey changing all eleven names from that game. This included a first start of the season for MacGillivray in goal, recalls following absences for Sam Sherring, Joe Pritchard and Tom Carroll, and a first senior start for youngster Damerai Singh-Hurditt.
In weather that alternated between stillness and heavy rain, the opening stages saw a couple of half opportunities fall for either side without either being able to convert.
The Dons’ best chances saw Harrison and Sonny Finch have efforts blocked, while Sherring saw a flicked volley at a corner just clear the bar.
Arsenal U21s were providing danger, but were struggling to turn this into great chances, with their best seeing Jimi Gower have a shot blocked by a team-mate after MacGillivray’s pass out was intercepted, before an angled shot by Ismeal Kabia was saved by MacGillivray.
As the game carried on, it would ultimately be MK Dons that found a way through. After a fast break failed to yield a shot, the home side won a corner and from Dean Lewington’s delivery, Harrison rose highest to head home.
But the Dons’ lead would last just four minutes. A strike by Butler-Oyededi was denied by MacGillivray, and waiting in the middle was Harriman-Annous to sweep home the rebound.
Two minutes after that, however, MK Dons took the lead again. MJ Williams won the ball high up, and the loose ball fell kindly for Harrison, who was able to scoop a fine strike into the back of the net via a post.
Yet the game still continued in a goalscoring vein, with Arsenal U21s scoring to make it four goals in just over ten minutes. A handy run by Josh Robinson saw him vex the Dons’ defence before he slipped through Butler-Oyededi, who fired a shot into the roof of the Dons’ net.
The Arsenal U21 side had a bright start to the second half, with Kabia denied by MacGillivray before Salah Oulad-M’Hand had a shot blocked by MJ Williams. Similar last gap heroics also came in from Callum Tripp to block a strike by Butler-Oyededi.
Butler-Oyededi continued to look dangerous, with the striker having a shot blocked by Tripp and then another try blocked at the resulting corner.
MK Dons did have a danger of their own, however, and they came close when Rian Silver thumped a shot off the crossbar at a corner.
But the Dons would suffer a blow as Tripp would pull up while trying to lead a charge forward. With the Dons having used all 5 subs, it meant they would have to play the final ten minutes and injury time a man down.
However, the Dons navigated that without conceding, and so the game would be decided by a penalty shoot-out.
MacGillivray ended up stepping up in the shootout, denying Arsenal U21’s first two spot-kicks to keep out Michal Rosiak and then Oulad-M’Hand.
But while Dean Lewington scored the Dons’ first penalty, MJ Williams struck the crossbar to keep it close.
However, Arsenal U21 sub Harrison Dudziak would be denied by MacGillivray, who saved all of the first three kicks.
Tom Carroll would score from the spot, and although Arsenal’s Maldini Kacurri kept the visitor’s hopes alive, Tommy Leigh scored the penalty to confirm the Dons had picked up the bonus shootout point to maintain their hopes of qualifying for the next round.
MK Dons: MacGillivray – Sherring (Lewis-Burgess 51), Tripp, Lewington – Pritchard (Wood 76), Carroll, Williams, Ilunga – Singh-Hurditt (Silver 76), Harrison (Leigh 64), Finch (Medwynter 64)
Subs not used: Harness, White
Goal: Harrison (25, 31)
Arsenal U21: Martin – Robinson (Nichols 45), Kacurri, Monlouis, Lewis-Skelly – Oulad-M’hand, Rosiak, Gower (Dudziak 89( – Kabia (Forde 88), Butler-Oyededi, Harriman-Annous
Subs not used: Okonkwo, Ferdinand, Quesada-Thorn, Julienne
Goal: Harriman-Annous (29), Butler-Oyededi (36)