Walsall 0-2 MK Dons: Visitors go third as pressure increases on Mat Sadler

Jon Mellish runs off to celebrate after scoring MK Dons' second goal at Walsall as a number of players in red and black look exasperated — Image caption,
Walsall were top of League Two on Boxing Day but have won just one of their past 10 games

MK Dons picked off out-of-sorts Walsall to claim victory and heap more pressure on under-fire home boss Mat Sadler.

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy finished off a slick move emanating from Priestley Farquharson's risky pass on the half-hour.

The Saddlers improved after being booed off at half-time, but Paul Warne's promotion hunters withstood pressure to seal a sixth win in eight unbeaten Sky League Two outings through Jon Mellish's finish four minutes from time.

Farquharson's error gifted Mellish the ball, with Alex Gilbey setting up Hepburn-Murphy to calmly curl the opener inside the far post.

Injured referee Peter Wright was replaced by fourth official Dean Watson, but there was no change to the pattern of the game with Kacper Lopata blocking Hepburn-Murphy's point-blank shot late in the first half.

Walsall showed far more energy after the break, with Daniel Kanu's 57th-minute effort needing a strong right hand from Craig MacGillivray at his near post.

Courtney Clarke thumped over a 25-yard drive and Kanu drew another save from MacGillivray, but Mellish secured the points when he thumped in the rebound from Scott Hogan's blocked effort.

Report supplied by PA Media.

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Difference	Points	Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first
1 Bromley	33	18	11	4	56	34	22	65	Result Draw Result Win Result Win Result Draw Result Draw Result Draw
2 Cambridge United	33	18	9	6	48	26	22	63	Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Draw Result Win
3 Milton Keynes Dons	33	17	10	6	62	33	29	61	Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Win Result Draw Result Win
4 Notts County	33	18	7	8	52	32	20	61	Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Draw Result Loss Result Win
5 Swindon Town	34	19	4	11	56	40	16	61	Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Loss
6 Crewe Alexandra	34	15	8	11	50	40	10	53	Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win
7 Chesterfield	33	13	14	6	52	43	9	53	Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Draw
8 Salford City	31	16	4	11	44	41	3	52	Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss
9 Walsall	32	14	8	10	40	35	5	50	Result Draw Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss
10 Colchester United	32	13	10	9	48	34	14	49	Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Draw Result Win
11 Grimsby Town	32	13	10	9	45	37	8	49	Result Win Result Draw Result Draw Result Win Result Draw Result Loss
12 Barnet	33	12	11	10	42	37	5	47	Result Draw Result Draw Result Win Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss
13 Accrington Stanley	32	13	7	12	36	33	3	46	Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Win Result Loss
14 Fleetwood Town	32	12	8	12	43	42	1	44	Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Win Result Win
15 Oldham Athletic	31	10	12	9	34	30	4	42	Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Win Result Win
16 Gillingham	32	10	11	11	40	41	-1	41	Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss
17 Tranmere Rovers	33	9	8	16	45	57	-12	35	Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Loss
18 Shrewsbury Town	33	9	8	16	31	51	-20	35	Result Draw Result Loss Result Win Result Win Result Win Result Win
19 Cheltenham Town	32	10	5	17	33	54	-21	35	Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Draw Result Win
20 Bristol Rovers	33	9	3	21	32	56	-24	30	Result Win Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Win
21 Crawley Town	34	6	10	18	33	54	-21	28	Result Win Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Draw Result Draw
22 Barrow	32	7	6	19	33	50	-17	27	Result Loss Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Loss Result Loss
23 Harrogate Town	34	6	8	20	24	51	-27	26	Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Draw Result Win Result Draw
24 Newport County	33	6	6	21	32	60	-28	24	Result Loss Result Draw Result Loss Result Loss Result Win Result Loss

Key Events

Walsall

MK Dons

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Monday 23rd February

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Key

Team Lineups

home team, Walsall

Pitch Formation

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home team, Walsall

away team, MK Dons

Pitch Formation

Starting lineup

away team, MK Dons

home team, Walsall

Pitch Formation

Starting lineup

Substitutes

away team, MK Dons

Pitch Formation

Starting lineup

Substitutes

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Aerial duels won

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Shots

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Attempts out of box

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Pass accuracy %

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