Saturday 19 September 2026
By James Hartley
AFC Wimbledon and Milton Keynes Dons cancelled each other out in a tense 0-0 draw at the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Thursday night, a result that left the visitors still searching for a first League One win of the season.
The fixture, brought forward from Saturday for live television, drew a crowd of 7,960 and carried the familiar edge that always accompanies this particular rivalry. Wimbledon, under manager Johnnie Jackson, had arrived in decent form after a 1-0 home win over Doncaster Rovers and a 2-0 success at Bromley. MK Dons, by contrast, have now drawn six of their seven league matches and remain without a victory.
The hosts created the clearer early chances. Myles Hippolyte released Callum Maycock, whose shot flew over, before Jayden Stockley flicked on for Steve Seddon, whose effort at the far post forced a sharp save from Will Dennis. MK Dons threatened when Callum Paterson fired straight at Joe Bursik. Both sides later appealed for penalties that were waved away, adding to the frustration of a tight contest.
Jackson named Dan Sweeney and Steven Sessegnon in his starting eleven after they missed the Doncaster match. Brighton loanee Freddie Simmonds, who had made his debut the previous Saturday, dropped to the bench. Substitutes Zack Nelson and Dujuan Richards were introduced after the hour, but neither side could find a late winner.
After seven league games Wimbledon sit seventh in Sky Bet League One with 11 points from three wins, two draws and two defeats. Their goals have been harder to come by than some of their neighbours, yet the defensive organisation that served them so well last season, when they stayed in the division, has been evident again. Stockley and Hippolyte have provided the main threat in attack.
Jackson said afterwards that pride was his overriding emotion. “I think this game always brings out the best of us at this football club,” he said. “That was on show again tonight, on the pitch and in the stands.” MK Dons manager Paul Warne was less satisfied, arguing his side needed more quality in the final third and questioning two penalty claims that went unrewarded.
The Dons’ next assignment is an away trip to Cambridge United on Saturday 26 September, a match the club has confirmed will go ahead as planned. After that, a home fixture against Stevenage has already been postponed because of international call-ups in the visitors’ squad.
Summer recruitment has given Jackson extra options. Centre-back Sweeney returned to the club where he began as an academy player, Sessegnon arrived from Wigan Athletic, and Nelson signed permanently after a productive loan last term. Those additions, together with the continued presence of experienced figures such as Ryan Johnson and Alistair Smith, have helped Wimbledon settle quickly after promotion two seasons ago and a mid-table finish last time out.
For a supporter-owned club that rebuilt from the ninth tier after the original Wimbledon side was moved to Milton Keynes, nights such as Thursday still carry extra meaning. A point against their old rivals is rarely dismissed, even if the performance did not produce a winning goal. Attention now turns to Cambridge and to whether Jackson’s side can convert recent solidity into another three points on the road.