MK Dons continued their tricky start to 2025 after a 1-0 loss at home to Bromley.

Ben Thompson’s goal after an hour of football decided a tight contest at Stadium MK, in which the visitors had also seen Michael Cheek have a penalty saved.

The Dons struggled to create opportunities, coming up short against a Bromley side that had failed to win since their first game of 2025, but who climbed above MK Dons in the table with the three points.

Defeat means the Dons have won just two of their last 12 League Two games, and they now sit in 14th position, with the team now ten points off the play-offs.

Some revisions were seen to Scott Lindsey’s team from their last home match against Harrogate, with Connal Trueman making his debut in goal after signing on deadline day, Jack Sanders making his first home start and the team playing a back four as experimented with at Doncaster. Further deadline day recruits Travis Patterson and Danilo Orsi began on the bench.

The hosts made some early running, with Alex Gilbey have a shot deflected wide for a corner and Joe Tomlinson firing over at the consequent corner.

A fairly slow first half saw blocked chances being the closest either side really came to scoring, with the visitors’ veteran full-back Carl Jenkinson and the home side’s Callum Hendry next to see opportunities blocked.

Perhaps the best chance of the entire first half came Bromley’s way just after the half-hour. Cheek’s dummy allowed Cameron Congreave to charge down the away side’s left flank, only for his shot to be well denied by Trueman, who also did well to gather a follow-up cross with players lurking.

Liam Kelly had a pair of strikes blocked while Gilbey had a shot saved by Grant Smith, albeit from an offside position.

A few moments after half-time, Bromley were awarded a penalty after Conor Lemonheigh-Evans tripped up Congreave in the box. But Trueman’s trailing leg was able to intercept Cheek’s penalty and keep the scores at 0-0.

MK Dons felt they should’ve had a penalty of their own with their next attack, but an appeal for handball would be rejected.

But the home side struggled to make chances and they would then fall behind on the hour. From a Bromley counter attack, the ball was worked to Danny Imray, and the Crystal Palace loanee was able to create a space to cross. Thompson was duly found and fired past Trueman to put the visitors ahead.

Things nearly got worse for the Dons, as Trueman had to make a fine stop to deny Thompson grabbing a second before a combination of goalkeeper and post kept out Congreave’s rebound.

After the Dons had another penalty appeal rejected, again for handball, Dons boss Lindsey was shown a yellow card as the hosts began to show frustration.

In the latter stages, the hosts began to show a little more, with Hogan heading over before Smith in the Bromley goal made a fine stop to keep out Gilbey’s effort from just outside the box.

Bromley nearly made sure only for sub Corey Whitely to fire straight at Trueman after doing the hard work to get forward.

Hogan would see a header deflected wide at a corner, before in stoppage time, Kane Thompson-Sommers had a strike blocked and debutant Patterson saw a drive beaten away by Smith.

But despite eight minutes of time added on, plus an extra minute being played, MK Dons had no answer, with the home side booed off as their difficult start to the New Year continues.

MK Dons: Trueman – Lemonheigh-Evans (Nemane 61), Sanders, Lawrence, Tomlinson (Patterson 61) – Williams (Thompson-Sommers 83) – Kelly (O’Reilly 69), Gilbey – Crowley – Hendry (Orsi 69), Hogan

Subs not used: Stacey, Waller

Booked: Tomlinson, Lemonheigh-Evans, Crowley, Williams

Bromley: Smith – Jenkinson, Elerewe, Webster, Mayor – Charles, Arthurs – Imray, Thompson (Grant 90+2), Congreave (Whitely 72) – Cheek (Kabamba 90)

Subs not used: Long, Dennis, Ilunga, Tobin

Goal: Thompson (60)

Booked: Mayor