Colin Todd was today trying to pick up the pieces after a morale-shattering loss to basement side MK Dons.

City, who have won only once in 2006, were beaten by a home side who played the whole second half with striker Aaron Wilbraham in goal.

Goalkeeper Matt Baker was injured just before the break and there was no back-up on the bench. But City failed to take advantage of the emergency stopper and now find themselves just four points clear of the relegation places.

Todd admitted: "It's a battle for us now, we all know that.

"We didn't deserve to win it but a point would have been something from a game that wasn't really slipping away from us. But we didn't do enough in the second half to put the keeper under pressure.

"We've been in that position ourselves down at Southend and you have to protect the keeper in the right way. It's down to us to create chances and have a go at him which we didn't do.

"You have to play to your strengths and take advantage when you have the other side on the back foot."

Steve Claridge, replacing the suspended Dean Windass, had cancelled out Ben Harding's opener with his first goal for over four months.

But City were sunk by a last-minute wonder goal from Dons

skipper Dean Lewington, who ran over half the length of the field before beating Donovan Ricketts from 30 yards.

Todd said: "We succumbed to a bad goal. It was a great strike from their boy but he should never have got that far. You can't allow people to run 80 yards like that and let them hit one because sometimes it will fly in.

"We knew there would be a response from MK after losing heavily last week but we still have to be better when we lose the ball."

Claridge admitted: "We are all really disappointed but nobody could have seen a strike like that.

"The gaffer said after the game that he was unhappy we didn't close their player down earlier. But it was against the wind and it was a one-in-a-million chance."