CITY 2 MK DONS 2

MENTION the name MK Dons and the shackles are sure to rise among football traditionalists.

The so-called franchise club are still viewed with disdain by many 14 years on from their controversial flit from London.

But for City, they have proved to be rich pickings.

Only Peterborough have beaten the Dons more than the Bantams, who went into last night with six wins from their previous seven encounters.

But even that Indian sign isn’t immune to the draws that have dominated City’s season. So the final scoreline – a 12th home stalemate – should have come as no surprise.

It does mean that City have today gone exactly a year since their last league loss at Valley Parade.

The biggest positive for Stuart McCall will be seeing his side hit back twice from behind on a surface not made for chasing the game.

But it stresses the need to beat Peterborough on Saturday to maintain that “four in two” ratio that the manager has talked about.

Alex Gilliead’s eye-catching half hour as a sub on Saturday had earned him a first home start in place of Jordy Hiwula as City ditched the diamond from the Port Vale win.

Alex Jones, who scored the decisive goal from Gilliead’s cross, was on the bench again alongside a fit-again Mark Marshall. But there was no Stephen Darby who had injured his arm in training the day before.

McCall had described the Dons as one of the biggest under-achievers in the division so far. It was hard to argue looking at the strength of a bench that included Kieran Agard – the striker that interested City in the summer before they were “blown out the water”, in Greg Abbott’s words, by the former Championship club.

The sight of “history-making” skipper Gary Jones on the pitch before the game was a reminder of City’s most recent promotion success.

But the start was anything but magic for the hosts as they fell behind to a deflected goal after four minutes.

MK Dons had already signalled their intentions with Paul Downing’s header from a Robbie Muirhead free-kick which Colin Doyle just managed to turn on to the post.

Muirhead’s corner was cleared as far as Stuart O’Keefe and the on-loan Cardiff midfielder’s 20-yarder took a deflection to spin past Doyle into the bottom corner.

Worse could have followed when the Dons front two broke menacingly from a City attack but Nicky Maynard ignored the better-placed Muirhead to go for glory and fired across goal and wide.

MK Dons were making light work of a dreadful surface and City did not help themselves with some loose passes. The crowd were muted and the first quarter of the game had the feel of that Colchester defeat of a year ago.

The place needed a lift – and got it with a helping hand from referee Darren Deadman.

The Peterborough official was the bane of Phil Parkinson’s life at City – and the former boss wanted him banned from taking charge of the club’s games at one point.

But Deadman’s eagle-eyed spot of Joe Walsh’s shirt tug on Rory McArdle from a corner gave the hosts an unexpected penalty lifeline that Tony McMahon dispatched in confident fashion.

That transformed the mood as the edginess went out of the air and City began to show a bit of conviction in possession.

But their bubble was suddenly burst by a freak second goal from the visitors ten minutes before the break.

George Williams clipped a cross from the left which cleared Doyle and flew in to the net off the inside of the far post. Whether the wing-back had intended it or not, and it’s hard to imagine that was his aim, it was a sucker punch that floored City.

But that goal summed up the weird nature of the first half and the Shrove Tuesday atmosphere once more threatened to fall as flat as a pancake.

City had to pick themselves up once more and Billy Clarke tried to fashion a response with a clever lobbed pass which Nicky Law half-volleyed into the side-netting.

But the second equaliser came from a very familiar source of late. Josh Cullen’s shot was deflected behind and Charlie Wyke buried Clarke’s corner with an emphatic centre-forward’s finish.

And there was still time in the half for City’s defensive fragility to be exposed once again. The Dons almost claimed a third potty goal as Dean Lewington and McMahon both went for Muirhead’s free-kick and the ball cannoned towards goal where Doyle just managed to scramble it away.

It had been the whackiest 45 minutes of McCall’s reign but both sides came off thinking the game was there for the taking.

That was clear in the opening moments after the restart as Doyle touched away a drive from Harvey Barnes and Wyke and Clarke both saw efforts charged down in the MK box.

But the best chance fell to James Meredith ten minutes in from fellow full back McMahon’s overlapping raid. He cut it back to the penalty spot where the Australian tried to side-foot past keeper David Martin but fired straight into his chest.

The away defence was struggling against Wyke’s physicality as City started to ask more questions.

But the Dons’ pace on the break was a danger and Doyle saved well from Barnes from another lightning counter.

The visitors had changed both front men by this point while McCall gave Jones half an hour to repeat his weekend heroics.

The contest had calmed down considerably and O’Keefe’s hope of adding to the list of outlandish goals with a lob from 40 yards bounced comfortably wide.

Dons had to sub a sub as Chuks Aneke, only recently back from a serious injury, pulled up as he tried to get away from Cullen.

Wyke could not fashion a shooting chance from a bobbling cross as City pushed for a late winner.

As the game went into added time, Jones chased a long ball but Martin raced out of his area to get their first – before infuriating the home fans by staying down for treatment.

Nat Knight-Percival had a late effort saved before the whistle was greeted with boos for the unconvincing performance of the referee.