MK Dons’ first game after appointing Paul Warne as Head Coach saw them draw 0-0 with Newport County.
A tight game at Stadium MK saw two out-of-form sides drift to a stalemate, with neither the Dons nor the Exiles able to breakthrough.
The draw means that both sides are now on a run of six games without a win. MK Dons sit 19th in the League Two table with three games of the season still remaining, with the team 7 points above the relegation zone after Carlisle scored a surprise win over leaders Port Vale.
Warne took charge of an MK Dons game for the first time, with the former Rotherham and Derby boss having been appointed as the permanent successor to Scott Lindsey earlier this week.
His first assignment saw the Dons take on Newport County, with both sides having failed to win any of their last five League Two outings. The Welsh club had scored six against MK Dons when they met in Wales just before Christmas, so the Dons were looking for better things.
One notable absence was Alex Gilbey, with the Dons’ top scorer out through a groin injury expected to keep him out for the last games of the campaign.
The early stages saw a half-chance come for MK Dons, with Luke Offord’s header across goal failing to be turned home in a melee in the box.
A few early free-kicks at either end were negated by fouls in the box or offsides, but as the half progressed, the game began to be a stop-start affair, with neither side able to turn promising play into something more tangible.
Newport’s Cameron Antwi had an opportunity full his way as he cut inside before firing a curling effort that was held by MK Dons goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray.
MacGillivray then did well to reach a pass down the right flank before Michael Spellman, who was being played through by a deep pass down the Newport right.
MK Dons then had positive play. Jack Sanders bundled the ball wide at a free-kick before Connor Lemonheigh-Evans nearly found a breakthrough in unconventional fashion as his angled cross-shot had to be tipped away by Nick Townsend before it could creep into the top corner.
The hosts did suffer a blow, however, as despite wanting to stay on, two knocks left Callum Hendry unable to continue and the striker was taken off.
Spellman had a half-chance when his strike was deflected wide, before Scott Hogan was able to get into a promising position only to pass rather than shoot.
After the break, Sanders had a go when a corner was half-cleared to him and the centre-back’s attempt was held by Townsend.
Townsend would also keep out a low angled strike from Laurence Maguire, in a game that continued to look for someone to take control of proceedings amid the stop-start flow with a lot of fouls being given.
Perhaps the best chance of the second half, maybe even the game, nearly came single-handedly. Lemonheigh-Evans, who was in a blank shirt after an early facial cut, picked the ball up and beat several Newport players to reach the box. After the ball ricocheted back into his path, his lofted show beat Townsend only to glance off the post.
As it was, the game ultimately fizzled out. Jonathan Leko and Danillo Orsi would be frustrated with late half-chances, but that would be it for the Dons as they welcomed their new boss with a scoreless draw.
MK Dons: MacGillivray – Offord, Sanders, Maguire – Tomlinson, Lemonheigh-Evans, Thompson-Sommers, Kelly (Leko 74), O’Reilly (White 45) – Hogan, Hendry (Orsi 31)
Subs not used: Trueman, Nemane, Tripp, Waller
Booked: Thompson-Sommers, Maguire, Lemonheigh-Evans, O’Reilly
Newport: Townsend – Thomas, Clarke (Warner 79), Baker, McLoughlin – Antwi, Brennan, Whitmore (Evans 62) – Spellman (Ajiboye 79), Baker-Richardson (Hudlin 62), Kamwa
Subs not used: Webb, Martin, Patten
Booked: Baker-Richardson, Hudlin