MK Dons’ final game of 2024 saw them play out a 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra at Stadium MK.

An early goal by former Crewe man Joe White put the Dons ahead, only for a second half equaliser by Jamie Knight-Lebel to bring the visitors level.

With neither side able to find a way through, the result meant MK Dons ended a run of three defeats in a row, but the stalemate meant they are on a run of four without a win.

The result means MK Dons currently sit in 11th position in the table, with Scott Lindsey’s side five points behind Crewe in the final play-off position, although the Dons have at least one game in hand on several of the teams above them.

After a loss at home to Notts County on Boxing Day inflicted a third straight loss on them, MK Dons entered their final contest of 2024 seeking three points that could get them closer to the play-off positions.

A stubborn obstacle awaited them, however, with Crewe on a run of one defeat in 13 league games, although that defeat did come against Cheltenham in their last game on Boxing Day.

A reshuffled side was chosen by Lindsey with three changes from the Boxing Day defeat, with a space also on the bench for Charlie Waller on the day MK Dons confirmed he had been recalled from a loan with National League side Sutton United in the wake of an injury to Laurence Maguire.

After an even opening phase to the competition, it was MK Dons that found a breakthrough courtesy of a familiar face to Crewe fans. When Liam Kelly fed the ball through to White, the Newcastle loanee and former Crewe loanee was able to control and then fire a low shot beyond Crewe’s former MK Dons loanee goalkeeper Filip Marschall.

Much of the first half would see few opportunities created aside from that, with the two sides finding the going difficult when they reached the opposition’s final third.

Perhaps the single best opportunity of the rest of the first half fell Crewe’s way. A cross from their left flank was able to find a way across to Omar Bogle, who spun and had a shot on target that Tom McGill kept out.

McGill nearly got caught out when he was pressed outside his box and had to rush a clearance, but at half-time, MK Dons retained the advantage.

The visitors were accumulating a lot of free-kicks and corners, and it was from one of the latter when Crewe were able to equalise.

From Joel Tabiner’s corner, MK Dons couldn’t clear and somewhere in the middle of a scramble, the ball fell the way of Knight-Lebel, and the man on loan from Bristol City prodded the ball home.

Ryan Cooney blasted a shot off target a few moments later as Crewe had their moments in seeking to find a second goal.

MK Dons had their own moment when Joe Tomlinson had a strike from the edge of the box charged down, before a great chance was created by the visitors as McGill denied Shilow Tracey when a one-two with Matúš Holíček released the Crewe striker for a one-on-one.

Another chance would come Tracey’s way later on when he beat McGill to a long ball down the Crewe right, but he could only prod a strike wide of the mark.

In the final stages, MK Dons were beginning to see a bit more joy than they had in earlier moments of the game, with Scott Hogan firing wide under pressure and Aaron Nemane having a shot blocked.

MK Dons would have the last half-chances in the game, as substitute Callum Hendry had a shot deflected wide before former Crewe captain Luke Offord saw a header kept out by Marschall with the final touch of the game.

But there was no further big chances to trouble the scoreboard, as the two sides ended level at the end of the contest.

MK Dons: McGill – Sherring, Offord, Lawrence – Nemane, Thompson-Sommers, White (Hendry 63), Tomlinson (Harrison 74) – Kelly (Carroll 85), Hogan, Gilbey

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Williams, Lemonheigh-Evans, Waller

Goal: White (9)

Booked: Sherring, Gilbey, Hogan

Crewe: Marschall – Knight-Lebel, Demetriou, Williams – Cooney, Holicek (Long 78), Sanders (Finney 89), Tabiner, Conway (Powell 89) – Bogle, Tracey (Lunt 89)

Subs not used: Booth, Connolly, Billington

Goal: Knight-Lebel (56)

Booked: Conway