Sheffield United 0 MK Dons 1: Blades pay hefty price for missed chances

Defender Kay powered home from Shaun Williams’s free-kick immediately after Blades substitute Febian Brandy had somehow contrived to miss an open goal.

Brandy, who dragged his shot wide from five yards, then compounded his folly with a late tackle on Lee Hodson which earned him a red card.

Weir admitted defeat was ‘a real hard one to take’.

He added: “I think we had done enough in the game to win it.

“We had three really good chances.

“If we could have taken any of them we would have been in a good position.

“Ultimately we got a real kick in the teeth at the end and that is very disappointing.

“There are a lot of positives from the game and the way we played, but ultimately we’re judged on results and that’s why we’re disappointed.”

Even before Brandy’s glaring miss the Blades had the better chances with Jose Baxter, Lyle Taylor and Tony McMahon all going close.

But they were made to pay a hefty price for their wasteful finishing thanks to Kay’s late header which lifted the visitors up to sixth place.

MK Dons manager Karl Robinson conceded that his side had been fortunate to win, but believed they merited at least a point.

“I thought a draw would have been more fair, (it was) a bit of a snatch and grab towards the end to win it the way we did,” said Robinson.

He added: “To be honest, we did look tired.

“We didn’t come here fresh.”

Sheffield United: Long, McMahon, Maguire, Collins, Hill, Coady, Doyle, Murphy (Brandy 63), Taylor (Ironside 57), Flynn (McFadzean 90), Baxter. Unused susbtitutes: Howard, Westlake, McGinn, McGinty.

Milton Keynes Dons: Martin, Hodson, Kay, Williams, Lewington, Gleeson, Potter, Jason Banton (Alli 71), Bamford, Carruthers (Baldock 75), McLeod (Chadwick 62). Unused substitutes: Otsemobor, Smith, Reeves, McLoughlin.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham).