Luton suffered defeat on their trip to Sheffield United as they lost 2-0 at Bramall Lane.
In a bout between two of the three sides relegated from last season’s Premier League, a pair of goals by Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on his 22nd birthday goals decided the contest in the Blades’ favour.
Defeat was Luton’s fifth of the campaign after the opening nine games of the Championship season, leaving Rob Edwards’ side just above the relegation zone in 21st position ahead of both an international break and a clash with local rivals Watford in their first game back in two weeks time.
The Hatters had won on their last two visits to Bramall Lane, having won on their way to promotion to the Premier League two seasons ago and while both teams were in the Premier League on Boxing Day last year.
This time, the Hatters had more of an uphill battle, with Sheffield United having made a positive start to the new campaign and Luton arriving off the back of one point from games against Plymouth and Oxford in their last two matches.
But it was the home side that would take the lead in the 12th minute. Rak-Sakyi received a lobbed pass by Anel Ahmedhozic, ran into a gap between two Luton defenders and fired past Thomas Kaminski.
Luton failed to hit a shot on target in the first half and the home side had chances in the latter stages of it to double their lead, with Rak-Sakyi shooting wide and Kieffer Moore denied by Kaminski.
Kaminski then denied Callum O’Hare just after the break, before Luton had their first chance on target when Jordan Clark was kept off the scoreboard by a save from Michael Cooper.
But the Blades would make it 2-0 seven minutes into the second half. The ball fell the way of Rhian Brewster, who threaded the ball inside for Rak-Sakyi to receive, run forward and fire a shot in-between Kaminski’s legs and in.
Sheffield United would have chances for more goals, with Kaminski denying Brewster’s drive before Vini Souza hit the post after Luton lost possession.
Cooper made a late stop to deny Alfie Doughty, but the Hatters were unable to prevent their fate as they left South Yorkshire a beaten side.
MK Dons missed out on victory after conceding a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Tranmere Rovers.
Joe White had put the Dons in front in the opening half an hour and held on to the lead all the way to added time at the end of the second half, when Tranmere substitute Regan Hendry equalised for the visitors.
Victory would’ve seen MK Dons move into the top half and pick up back-to-back wins for the first time all season, but a draw in Scott Lindsey’s first home game in charge saw the team instead end the weekend in 13th position, although they are now unbeaten in three.
The match against Tranmere was the Dons’ first at home with Lindsey as the club’s first team Head Coach, with the former Crawley boss having replaced Mike Williamson in the time since the Dons’ last home game.
Having managed a first win in style when they scored five at Harrogate in midweek, it set up the Dons in a pursuit of their first pair of back-to-back wins this season. They took on a Tranmere side who arrived in Milton Keynes without a win in any of their previous four assignments.
MK Dons had the day’s first major opportunity, as a cross by Joe Tomlinson picked out Connor Lemonhaigh-Evans, who saw his header kept out by Luke McGee in the Tranmere goal.
But the visitors would also cause MK Dons problems. Alex Gilbey ended up heading over a Chris Merrie corner that seemed to be arcing in towards the goal, before Tom McGill denied Kieron Morris from a follow-up corner and a strike by Zak Bradshaw just bobbled wide.
While Tranmere couldn’t find a way through, MK Dons would as they took the lead just after the 20 minute mark. Laurence Maguire picked up the ball inside the Tranmere half and he played a low pass for White to run onto. The Newcastle loanee duly met it with a fine first time strike that he saw crash past McGee to score for the second game in a row.
An even remainder of the half saw the two sides probe in search of an opening. Tranmere came closest when he kept out a Lee O’Connor strike, before White saw an effort in search of a second at the other end just skim wide.
MK Dons would start the second half on the front foot, with Jack Tucker seeing a strike just clear the top of the bar before McGee made a flying stop to thwart Alex Gilbey.
Omari Patrick would see a hit from outside the box just clear the bar, just before Patrick would earn a booking for kicking the ball away.
With just under 20 minutes remaining, Gilbey came close to a second for MK Dons when he met Lemonhaigh-Evans’ cross and saw his header denied at close range by McGee.
Tranmere loudly appealed for a penalty after they felt an effort by substitute Josh Davison was blocked by handled, with a second strike blocked on the line by Tucker.
But with time running out, Tranmere remained in the game and would maximise this when they equalised in the first minute of added time.
After Dons sub Sonny Finch had the ball pinched off him, Tranmere worked the ball out to Tom Davies. His searching ball was flicked on by former MK Dons man Cameron Norman into the path of sub Hendry, who held off his man and fired a low strike across McGill and into the bottom corner.
Despite some extra time due to a delay to the restart, the Dons couldn’t recover from the blow to find a late winner of their own, and the game ended all square, much to MK Dons’ frustration.
MK Dons: McGill – Tucker, Offord, Maguire – Nemane, Lemonhaigh-Evans, Kelly (Williams 82), Tomlinson – White (Carroll 64), Leigh (Finch 64), Gilbey
Subs not used: Harness, Lewington, Ilunga, Tripp
Goal: White (24)
Booked: Lemonhaigh-Evans, Nemane
Tranmere: McGee – O’Connor, Davies, Turnbull – Norman, Merrie, Khan, Bradshaw – Morris (Hendry 77), Dennis (Saunders 64), Patrick (Davison 77)
Subs not used: Murphy, Taylor, Solomon, Wood
Goal: Hendry (90+1)
Booked: Patrick
Milton Keynes City Council have announced a series of grant schemes for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford.
The initiative is co-funded by the City Council and the Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Towns Deal and it supports the city council’s vision to drive business growth and create jobs for local people.
Under the terms of the deal, start-ups can apply for up to £2,500 and existing business owners for up to £5,000.
To qualify, start-ups will need to prove that they have a business ready to be launched in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford, or have been operating for three years or less and need support to develop.
MK City Council have noted that the grant can be used for marketing, branding, training, business planning, financial management, sustainability measures or IT equipment.
Existing businesses must demonstrate an ambition to grow by introducing new products or services, or by scaling up their current offer. The grant could be used to buy new equipment, cover consultancy costs, staff training, rebranding, software development or repairs and maintenance of premises. Firms need to have been operating for a minimum of three years in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford.
The grant scheme is now live and will run until March 2025 or whilst funds are available. Further information and details on how to apply are available on the Groundbreaking Bletchley and Fenny Stratford website.
Leader of MK City Council Cllr Pete Marland said, “This is a good opportunity for new and existing businesses to get a helping hand at a point when we’re investing more widely in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford’s future. We want them to be ready to make the most of what’s changing, and be part of our vision for the area.”
Willen Lake have announced plans to hold a two-day street food and family event later this month.
The Willen Lake Flavour Fest will be held on Saturday 26 October and Sunday 27 October, running between 11am and 5pm on both days and free for all to enter.
This event is intended to provide an opportunity for food lovers to indulge in a variety of street food favourites.
Confirmed vendors have been announced, including; The Rub, an award-winning vendor offering mouth-watering meat feasts like the Desperate Dan and the Rib Tickler; Lime Face a fusion of Bao Buns and Malaysian street food, La Pitta offering Greek Gyros and Halloumi fries, and Urban Spice Box famous for their Punjabi street food, Bandit Street Food, award-winning Americana-style BBQ food plus food & drinks will also be available from the Willen Lake Café that offers freshly ground coffee and stone-baked pizzas.
As well as fun for food lovers, and in addition to the culinary delights, Flavour Fest will feature live music, a DJ, and face painting. Entertainment for children also includes the opportunity to enjoy the Halloween Half Term Trail for free, adding a seasonal twist to the weekend festivities.
“Flavour Fest is a first for Willen Lake, and we’re thrilled to be hosting an event that brings together great food, entertainment, and family activities in one place. We can’t wait to see the community come together for what promises to be a fantastic weekend,” said Tom Fogg, Senior Operations Manager from Willen Lake.
Milton Keynes will be hosting an Artificial Intelligence Festival later this month.
The Milton Keynes AI Festival 2024 will be held in locations around the city from 28 October to 1 November, and gathers the city’s tech leaders to showcase and explore the various opportunities presented by AI.
The Festival marks the anniversary of an AI Safety Summit held by the British national government at Bletchley Park in November last year, which saw global leaders attend to discuss the future of AI.
Milton Keynes City Council has put together what promises to be a pioneering AI event focused on innovation, learning and ethical advances in modern technologies and AI.
Dynamic events include an interactive hackathon, insightful workshops on adult learning and in-depth discussions on the challenges of responsible generative AI.
The organisers state that a key theme of the festival is the mission to demystify AI, making it accessible and understandable for everyone. Further information and how to register is available on the Protospace website.
The Festival is also an opportunity to highlight the ongoing work to boost the city’s position as a leader in the tech ecosystem and deliver on the city council’s Technology, Smart City, Digital and Creative Industries Strategy, cementing Milton Keynes’ global reputation as a smart city and the home of innovation.
Events will be running across the city, hosted by major organisations including Bletchley Park (where the Festival will formally open), The Open University, MK College, Santander, Smart City Consultancy, Bidwells and His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) – and additional companies.
Cabinet Member for Economy, Sustainability and Innovation, Cllr Shanika Mahendran, said, “The MK AI Festival 2024 will be a landmark event for Milton Keynes, showcasing the incredible talent and innovation happening right here in our city. The Festival will enable us to bring together leading AI and tech developments in MK and across the country, so we can work together to make the most of these opportunities.
“Alongside our partners, we’re putting on a series of events that cover a range of subjects that impact our everyday lives. We’re proud to be the home of innovation and high performance technologies and through the Festival we’ll show everyone how they can play their part.”
