Former MK Dons striker Matthew Dennis has signed with the Dons’ fellow League 2 outfit Carlisle United.
The 22-year-old has joined Carlisle on a free transfer and has signed a short-term contract covering the rest of the 2024/25 season.
Dennis was available as a free after being released by MK Dons on transfer deadline day, ending a two and a half year spell contracted with the club.
The attacker had joined MK Dons from Norwich in 2022, scoring 11 times in 46 appearances for the club, but having not played for MK Dons between September 2024 and his exit earlier this month.
Dennis was one of three players released by MK Dons on deadline day after having their contract terminated by mutual consent, with Joe Pritchard and Tom Carroll also departing. Pritchard has since joined National League side Oldham Athletic, while Carroll remains without a club.
The deal was ratified in time for Dennis to be included in Carlisle’s squad for their match yesterday (11/02), with the striker coming on as a substitute during their 1-0 defeat to Newport County in South Wales. He became the 49th unique player to have played a competitive game for Carlisle this season.
The transfer makes Dennis the third former MK Dons player to move to Carlisle in the last year, with the Cumbrians having signed Ethan Robson last summer after he was released by MK Dons and then signing Stephen Wearne directly from the Dons in the January transfer window.
Dennis’ move is the first signing made by Carlisle since the appointment of Mark Hughes, with the former Blackburn, Man City, Fulham, QPR, Stoke, Southampton and Welsh national team boss replacing Mike Williamson earlier this month. Williamson had left his role as MK Dons’ Head Coach to take the Carlisle job in September, but was shown the door on transfer deadline day after struggling to get results.
In a brief statement, Carlisle’s Sporting Director Rob Clarkson said, “We are pleased Matthew has joined us for the remainder of the season.
“He is a talented player who gives us an extra option at the top end of the pitch. He’s really hungry and determined to grab this opportunity with both hands.”
MK Dons suffered a 2-1 loss at Barrow in a result that continues their miserable run of form.
Scott Hogan had put the visitors in front at the SO Legal Stadium, but Kian Spence and Kyle Cameron scored the goals to turn the game in the home side’s favour.
Defeat in Lancashire means that the Dons have now lost 9 of their last 13 games, only 2 of which ended in victory. The side from Stadium MK find themselves 15th in the League Two table, with the side currently sitting ten points off a play-off spot.
The game was one of three rescheduled trips north for MK Dons, who’d seen trips to Fleetwood, Barrow and Carlisle all postponed due to bad weather between November and Janaury.
Scott Lindsey named the same side that had been beaten by Bromley at the weekend and things began well enough for the visitors, as MK Dons opened the scoring after eight minutes.
A long ball forward by Dan Crowley released Hogan, who was able to get one-on-one with Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman and thread a strike past him into the back of the net.
But MK Dons held the lead for all of two minutes, as Spence was first to a half-cleared corner and drilled in a strike that Connal Trueman couldn’t stop from crossing the line.
The visitors nearly re-took the lead through a similar move to the one that had put them in front, but this time, Farman was able to deny Hogan in the one-on-one.
MK Dons looked likelier to make something happen in the rest of the first half, although shots on target proved to be at a premium for the visitors with their best opportunities failing to hit the target.
Home scorer Spence had seen a strike fall narrowly wide during the first half, but the hosts came out of the blocks quicker after the break. They nearly took the lead when Aaron Pressley saw a strike kept out by Trueman.
A goal would come Barrow’s way just after the hour mark of the contest, as Cameron met Ben Whitfield’s cross and converted from close range.
MK Dons spurned an opportunity to equalise shortly after, when Alex Gilbey hit the post before firing the rebound off target when Hogan seemed better place to take advantage of the second opportunity.
Hogan then briefly thought he had struck his second of the night when he headed in Crowley’s cross, only for an offside flag to intervene.
Barrow would have their own third goal chalked off, with Whitfield beating Trueman to score only for a foul in the build-up to be spotted.
But MK Dons ran out of road, losing out in the North West as their difficult start to 2025 continues.
The Dons will be chasing just a third win of the New Year with another trip north on Saturday, as they head to struggling Tranmere Rovers.
Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault that happened by the side of a road in Milton Keynes.
The incident happened between 4pm and 4.30pm on Tuesday last week (4/2) on V6 Grafton Street.
The offender, who was on a push-bike, punched the wing mirrors off the victim’s car, and when the victim, a man in his fifties, got out of his black Range Rover on the dual carriage way, the offender assaulted the victim, leaving him to fall unconscious on the floor.
The offender is described as a white man and was on a blue push-bike. He was wearing a yellow high-vis jacket, blue shorts and had a helmet with a Go Pro camera.
The victim suffered a concussion and bruising and swelling to his face which required hospital treatment. Thames Valley Police have confirmed that he has since been discharged.
Police staff investigator Kate Hardy, based at Milton Keynes Police Station, said, “I am appealing for any witnesses to this assault to please come forward.
“I am specifically appealing to anyone with dash-cam or mobile footage of the incident to please contact the force in case it has captured something which may assist our investigation.
“Any witnesses or anyone with information about the assault should call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43250058422.
“Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via its website.”
A man has been sentenced for assaulting a police officer after a football match in Milton Keynes.
Harry Cooper, 21, of Palace Square, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting an emergency worker in a hearing at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court yesterday (10/2).
In the same hearing, Cooper was sentenced to a three-year football banning order, a one-year conditional discharge, court costs and a victim surcharge totalling £111.
The sentence relates to an incident that happened after the MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon match on Saturday 25th January.
Officers were escorting supporters away from the stadium when Cooper hit an officer. Cooper was arrested and charged the same day.
Dedicated Football Officer PC Jon Evans, said, “I am pleased that Cooper has been brought before the courts and sentenced for this offence.
“This is wholly unacceptable behaviour. Our officers work tirelessly for the public and we will never tolerate any form of assault on emergency workers, whose job it is to protect the public.
“We welcome the three-year football banning order following this incident. Football Banning Orders not only restrict supporters convicted of football-related offences watching the team they follow but they apply to all regulated football matches in the United Kingdom and some international matches and tournaments as well.
“Football matches should be a safe place for all people and Thames Valley Police will always deal with incidents at football matches seriously and apply for Football Banning Orders where appropriate.”
The former MK Dons full-back Matthew Sorinola featured as Plymouth pulled off an FA Cup shock by beating Liverpool.
The 23-year-old played the whole match for the Championship club, as the side currently sat bottom of the division pulled off a big shock by beating the Premier League leaders at Home Park.
Ryan Hardie’s penalty just after the break won the game for Argyle, who progress to the competition’s Fifth Round at the expense of the 8 time FA Cup winners.
Sorinola had broken through into professional football with the Dons after joining the club at academy level from Fulham. He made 46 appearances for the Dons, most of which came under Russell Martin during the 2020/21 season.
After time in Belgium with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and a loan spell with Swansea, Sorinola joined Plymouth in January of last year, and had earned a recall to active first team duties following the departure of Wayne Rooney as the club’s manager in December.
Sorinola had previously featured for Plymouth in the preceding round, when they knocked out another Premier League side after winning at Brentford in Round 3.
Another former Dons player in the Plymouth squad was midfielder Jordan Houghton, who was an unused substitute. Brendan Galloway, also once a Don, had played for Plymouth against Brentford, but was ruled out for the rest of the season after requiring surgery on an injury sustained during a match last month.
