Paul Warne said he felt a point was fair for MK Dons after a 1-1 draw with Cambridge United in which he felt the two sides looked tired.
The Dons boss reflected on a 1-1 draw at Stadium MK in which Callum Paterson had put the hosts in front before Sullay Kaikai’s equaliser.
Reflecting afterwards, Warne said he felt it was a tight game between two sides who have played a lot of football in quick succession.
“It just looked, and this is my eyes – I don’t dispute that people have different views, but it just looked like two sets of tired bodies at the end of the game. It was a pretty close match, and one we would’ve liked to have gone on to win.”
He later went on to say, “Today, it was probably two good teams cancelling each other out while breathing very heavily in the last ten minutes. That’s sort of my very basic reflection of the game.”
Warne said that he felt they were going to be tested against a Cambridge side in decent form, and that he ultimately felt that Neil Harris’ side gave him a good test.
He said, “In fairness to Cambridge, they kept coming at us. They’re obviously in confident form like us. I felt reasonably comfortable first half, took the lead, good goal, had a couple of other chances but it just didn’t feel like we had as much control in this game as we’ve had in other games. That’s a testament to how Cambridge played and made it difficult for us.
“We took a couple of injuries in the first half, which is never ideal as it reduces what you can do in the second half. That was a problem. We changed the shape thinking it would give us more ascendancy at the top of the pitch, and we’d be able to pass our way out of it, but we didn’t. That’s the truth.
“The pressure mounted, we made some unforced errors on the ball to a certain extent and their only shot on the goal in the second half went in. It was a screamer, but it was avoidable. Then we had chances in the second half to get that goal that we didn’t take.”
With defensive injuries, Warne pivoted from his more recently used tactic with a back 3 to a back 4 after the break, but Warne said he felt the approach didn’t quite work as hoped for.
He said, “Whatever system we played, you just don’t know. After the event, you think if we could’ve stayed the way we were, but the way we were, I didn’t think we ended the half too comfortable and there were a couple of incidents where there were 3 centre halves against one. It felt like we were wasting a player and we weren’t retaining the ball in the final third. So I thought by being more aggressive on how we play, we would pick out passes.
“We started the second half really well and created the best chance of the game, and you could argue we limited them to one shot, so you can’t say it’s the shape’s fault. But I have to take responsibility. It’s the way I pick and changed the team. It’s our job as coaches that when we come under the cosh, we can show a bit more courage.”
MK Dons’ FA Cup Third Round tie against Championship side Oxford United has been selected for streaming coverage by Discovery+.
The Third Round tie at Stadium MK is one of 14 ties chosen for exclusive coverage by the streaming service affiliated with TNT Sport.
The match will take place as a 7:30pm kick-off on Friday 9 January 2026, with the match one of 4 ties taking place at this time.
Discovery+ will also be broadcasting Preston v Wigan and Port Vale v Fleetwood, while the streaming platform will also be simultaneously broadcasting the tie between Wrexham and Nottingham Forest, which was chosen by TNT Sports.
Oxford United currently sit 22nd in the Championship, with the U’s entering the FA Cup in the Third Round as one of the 44 Premier League and Championship sides to enter the competition at this stage. A noteworthy figure in the U’s team for Dons fans is goalkeeper Jamie Cumming, who previously played for MK Dons in two loan spells in 2022 and 2023 before joining Oxford in 2023.
MK Dons last faced Oxford in an EFL Trophy tie in September 2023, with Oxford’s last visit to Stadium MK coming in a League One match in February 2023, in a game that finished as a 1-1 draw.
Paul Warne’s side booked their place in the Third Round with a 3-1 home win over fellow League 2 side Oldham Athletic, having beaten Colchester United in the previous round. The match will be the Dons’ first time in the FA Cup Third Round since the 2020/21 season, while they are aiming to reach the Fourth Round for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign.
Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic collision in Milton Keynes in which one of the drivers involved had failed to stop in an earlier traffic stop.
The incident happened at around midnight on Saturday (13/12) when two cars were involved in a collision on the H7 Chaffron Way, at the junction with Claridge Drive.
In the incident, a blue BMW 1 series was involved in a collision with a Blue Volkswagen Polo. The blue BMW was being pursued by a police vehicle prior to the collision and as per guidelines, a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The driver of the BMW and the driver and passenger of the Volkswagen, all sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital in stable conditions.
Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Oliver Cahill-Smith, from our Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said, “I am appealing to anybody who witnessed this BMW prior to this collision, or who may have dash-cam or CCTV footage, to please upload it via our portal.
“You can do so by making a report online or by calling 101, quoting reference 43250633933.
“We are investigating this incident, and the circumstances surrounding it, as a priority and have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to the police pursuit beforehand.
“To speak up 100% anonymously, visit Crimestoppers-uk.org or speaking to one of their specially trained, non-police call agents at their UK Contact Centre which is open 24/7, 365 days a year on 0800 555 111.”
The organisers of the Reggae Land Festival have confirmed two extra stages will be added as part of an expansion for its 2026 edition in Milton Keynes.
Taking place at the National Bowl music venue on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August 2026, Reggae Land is preparing to host its sixth edition.
Celebrated as the UK’s largest Reggae and Caribbean culture festival, Reggae Land is set to welcome around 100,000 fans across the weekend. Attendees can expect a curation of world-class talent, island flavours and community spirit for two days of unforgettable music and culture. Tickets are on sale now at www.reggaeland.co.uk
Reggae Land is the biggest reggae festival in the UK and one of the largest in Europe, and 2026 will mark its most ambitious year yet. The full artist line-up will be announced in January and promises to be the largest yet, expanding from 90 artists in 2025 to 120+ artists in 2026, all spread across seven stages with increased production, sound, facilities and immersive decor.
In the meantime, the first announcement for 2026 focuses on major expansions across the site including brand-new stages and the festival’s largest programme to date. This year, Reggae Land introduces the Dancehall Stage, a brand-new open-air, dedicated dancehall arena with a 7,000 capacity, delivering a huge new space for high-energy performances and culture. Then comes Bob’s Bar Stage, a new indoor stage paying tribute to the roots of reggae, giving roots reggae and lovers rock their own dedicated home at Reggae Land.
The full 2026 programme will once again showcase the entire spectrum of Caribbean sound and culture from roots and rocksteady to dancehall, dub, jungle and beyond with world-renowned names appearing alongside rising stars and genre innovators.
Since its move to The National Bowl in 2023, Reggae Land has transformed the historic open-air venue into a Caribbean wonderland. The Bowl’s natural amphitheatre provides unmatched acoustics and panoramic views, while its central location offers easy access for festival goers from across the UK and beyond. Beyond the music, the site comes alive with a Caribbean food village, rum bars and cocktail shacks, a reggae flea market, a reggae museum and a VIP zone creating a full sensory journey through Caribbean culture, rhythm and flavour.
Organisers JBM Music said, “Every year we push ourselves to make Reggae Land bigger, better, and more vibrant for everyone who joins us. As the festival grows, we’re determined to give even more back to the amazing community that powers this event. By expanding the line-up and adding new stages, we’re bringing more music, more culture, and more energy than ever before.””
With its unique blend of live performances, cultural showcases and community spirit, Reggae Land 2026 is set to be the most complete and immersive deep dive into rhythm, roots and the unity that shapes the music.
Police are appealing for witnesses following an incident of dangerous driving on the A5 in Milton Keynes.
At around 7.10am on Monday (8/12), the driver of a silver Honda MPV was travelling the wrong way, north on the southbound dual carriageway on the A5.
The incident was reported on the A5 near the Redmoor entry slip at the Caldecotte junction when it was involved in a single-car collision. No one was injured.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that at this stage, no arrests have been made.
Investigating officer, PC George Woellwarth of the Milton Keynes roads policing team, said, “I am appealing to anybody who witnessed any part of this incident to please get in touch.
“If you saw the car or have any dash-cam footage that may have captured something, please get in touch.
“You can report information through our online form or by calling 101, quoting reference 43250622997.
“Alternatively, for anonymity, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
