Danny Cowley hailed Colchester’s display as they struck late to win 1-0 away at MK Dons.
The pivotal moment came late on in a game of few chances, when the referee awarded a penalty for handball by Kane Thompson-Sommers. Former MK Dons midfielder Jack Payne duly scored the spot-kick in the 87th minute to win the game.
Victory means Colchester are unbeaten in nine Sky Bet League Two games and return to winning ways after three draws. MK Dons, who had Callum Hendry sent off in stoppage time, are now winless in six.
“They’re my favourite – away from home, clean sheet and a 1-0 win,” Cowley said. “I’m so pleased for the boys, who put in an incredible amount of effort.
“MK are a team that want to take control of the ball and I thought we did a really good job both against the ball and with the ball. Credit to the subs as they came on in a time when it looked like we were tiring and got control of the game for us.
“Before the game, we felt we had a real togetherness and spirit, and there’s a really special commodity that’s hard to find in life, let alone football. They trust each other. Sometimes, that trust, when it comes, it can really be a springboard to push you on.
“Jack Payne, he played here last year. Why they didn’t re-sign him, I’ll never know. He’s a top player at this level.
“It was great to get the winner and I’m so pleased for Jack – what a kid he is.”
Scott Lindsey felt his side did not deserve the later sucker punch, but said the team had to keep going to find a result to run things around.
He said: “It’s just football isn’t it? Sometimes you can perform really well and not come away with what you deserve. I think we deserved something from that game.
“Did we do enough to win it? You could argue that, but we certainly didn’t deserve to lose it.
“I thought we were the better team and big periods in the second half where we controlled it and were really locked in, but we could’ve asked more questions of the goalkeeper for sure.
“At the moment, we’re in a nervy position and the players probably feel that little bit of anxiety at times in front of goal. But we’ve got to continue because you can see the players are really fighting and don’t deserve that today.
“Lots of positives today, but obviously we need to win. We wanted to win today. We haven’t, we’re disappointed, but we’ve got to keep going and continuing the work we’re doing to turn them performances into positive results.”
Newcastle wing-back Livramento responds to Man City rumoursNewcastle United fullback Tino Livramento has intimated he expects to stay next season.The England U21 star has been linked with Manchester City.“The manager (Eddie Howe), I'm in constant contact with him," said Livramento when asked directly about his Newcastle future.“He has just said to keep focusing on what you're doing now...
Stuttgart chief admits Woltemade has his price as Chelsea, Atletico Madrid circleVfB Stuttgart chief exec Alexander Wehrle admits Nick Woltemade has his price.However, VfB won't be inviting offers for the young centre-forward as Chelsea, Atl9tico Madrid, Liverpool, and AS Roma all express their interest.Wehrle told the Stuttgarter Zeitung: "We're going into next season with Nick. Period."There's n...
Arsenal eyes surprise Premier League star to replace ParteyArsenal are targeting Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard, even as they near a deal for Martin Zubimendi.ESPN reported earlier this week that Thomas Partey’s time at Emirates Stadium seems to be coming to an end, with the Ghanaian midfielder expected to leave the north London club at the end of the month following stalled contrac...
Conte reveals response to Terry’s plea to ease Chelsea trainingAntonio Conte shared how he reacted when John Terry asked him to ease up on Chelsea’s intense training sessions at Stamford Bridge.The Napoli manager revealed that he agreed to then Blues’ captain Terry’s request to ease the intensity of training sessions.0However, after losing the next two games, he decided to ...
Inter Milan's Valentin Carboni celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Urawa RedsTwo late goals ensured Inter Milan maintained Europe’s unbeaten record against Asian opposition at the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC), beating Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 in the Group E clash in Seattle and eliminating the Japanese side from the competition.Inter wanted to make amends after becoming the first It...
Man City veteran Gundogan contacted by GalatasarayManchester City veteran Ilkay Gundogan is warming to a move to Galatasaray.Gala have made contact with the former Germany international and been encouraged by the feedback.The Guardian says while City manager Pep Guardiola would like the midfielder to stay, he won't stand in his way should Gundogan wish to move to Istanbul this summer.With Rodri no...
Barcelona chiefs lunch with agent for FC Copenhagen superkid BardghjiBarcelona are locked in talks to sign FC Copenhagen superkid Roony Bardghji.Mundo Deportivo says Bardghji's agent was in Barcelona on Thursday and had lunch with Barca directors, including sports chief Deco.The LaLiga champions are said to be oscillating between two options: either bringing in Bardghji as a free agent in January,...
Saudi Pro League plans move to sign Barcelona star LewandowskiSaudi Pro League clubs are reportedly preparing offers for Robert Lewandowski, despite the Barcelona striker dismissing exit rumours.The Poland international confirmed he will remain at Camp Nou next season, with his contract running until summer 2026.0However, Mundo Deportivo reports that Saudi clubs are preparing offers to sign him ne...
England celebrate Harvey Elliott's pivotal strike in the 15th minuteDefending champions England progressed to the semi-finals of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship thanks to a 3-1 win over Spain, ending La Rojita’s 13-game unbeaten run in competitive international games (W11, D2) that dated back to their 2023 final defeat to the Young Lions.A bright start from Spain saw Diego Lopez head...
Jobe Bellingham celebrates first goal for Borussia DortmundJobe Bellingham says he's "really proud" of scoring his first goal for Borussia Dortmund after their Club World Cup win over Mamelodi Sundowns.The England youth international made his first start for the Bundesliga after joining from Sunderland earlier this month and marked the occasion with a goal in their 4-3 win over South Africans.The ...
- 1 Chloe Kelly enjoys sun-kissed holiday as Arsenal star rests before Euro 2025
- 2 Jack Grealish set to leave Man City this summer
- 3 Man Utd have Hugo Ekitike 'advantage'
- 4 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 5 Stunning Euro U21 reporter dubbed 'queen of Europe' in bold dress
- 6 Man Utd make decision on replacing Andre Onana with Emi Martinez this summer
- 7 DONE DEAL: Celta Vigo sign permanently Ilaix from RB Leipzig
- 8 Real Madrid eye a trio of targets
- 9 Maddison and Wag announce they're expecting twins AGAIN
- 10 Gareth Bale set to buy former PL club