MK Dons 2019

We went into this game top, eight points clear of MK Dons in second, a sort of reverse of the situation against Posh two yars later. The winner would have their season defined; if we won, we were almost certainly champions. MK Dons, hunting automatic promotion, perhaps felt we were out of reach already. However, they were only three points ahead of fourth-placed Mansfield. It really was all to play for, and in a little twist of fate, we were 15 unbeaten going into the tie.

In the Imps end, it felt much nervier than it was. We won the title by six points, meaning even if we’d lost this, it wouldn’t have mattered. We didn’t, and it could have been more. An early Jason Shackell header was cleared off the line by MK Dons’ Conor McGrandles, before Ryan Harley fouled Shay McCartan in the area. John Akinde stepped up and tickled the ball home.

MK Dons could have had a penalty when Shackell fouled Aneke, but it was waved away. The home side piled on the pressure, and a late Gilks save kept it at 1-0. From there, City swept upfield, and Bruno Andrade finished confidently to put the game to bed. This was the day we knew the title was won.

A week later, MK Dons dropped out of the top three but ended up promoted in the final spot ahead of Mansfield, so all’s well, and that ends well.