Five-star MK Dons thrash Harrogate

Oct 1, 2024 1 min read
Tommy Leigh scored as MK Dons thrashed Harrogate (Nigel French/PA)
Tommy Leigh scored as MK Dons thrashed Harrogate (Nigel French/PA)

MK Dons hammered Harrogate 5-1 to register a first away win since their last visit to Wetherby Road – a 5-3 triumph in April.

The Buckinghamshire outfit went into this contest having only scored one league goal on the road all season but were 3-0 up at the break thanks to Tommy Leigh, Joe White and Alex Gilbey.

A Luke Offord own goal then proved the only blemish of the night before Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and substitute Sonny Finch wrapped up the rout late on.

Leigh bagged his first goal since a summer move from Accrington just past the half-hour mark, crashing into the roof of the net from eight yards after White and Joe Tomlinson combined to create the chance.

Two goals in first-half stoppage time then placed Dons firmly in the ascendancy.

On-loan Newcastle winger White found an inviting goal after Leigh had hit a post with the outside of his right boot having been sent clear by Gilbey.

The latter then added a third when he raced on to a Leigh through ball and confidently beat home goalkeeper James Belshaw from 12 yards.

Offord then horribly sliced Stephen Duke-McKenna’s pull-back from the left byline over the head of a helpless Tom McGill on 73 minutes, meaning MK have kept just one clean sheet in their last 22 away games.

But Lemonheigh-Evans found the net in the 88th minute from 10 yards after Belshaw had saved a Finch shot, with the on-loan Middlesbrough teenager going on to claim his first senior goal with an emphatic
finish having been sent clear on goal again by Aaron Nemane.

Great! Next, complete checkout for full access to Football Mad! ⚽️.
Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
You've successfully subscribed to Football Mad! ⚽️.
Success! Your account is fully activated, you now have access to all content.
Success! Your billing info has been updated.
Your billing was not updated.