City’s historic FA Cup run was brought to an end by a solitary Allan Smart goal in the fourth minute of this closely contested Second Round tie played in front of a sold-out Milton Road.

The selection talking points centred around the respective strikers. For City fit-again Jon Stevenson was preferred to Robbie Simpson whilst the Dons’ caretaker boss Jimmy Gilligan opted for the experienced Allan Smart ahead of top-scorer Izale McLeod.

Making the most of the superb playing surface the Dons took the game to their hosts using their speed of passing and movement off the ball to pin City back in the opening exchanges.

The strategy worked superbly. With only four minutes on the clock and the Lilywhites unable to settle or retain any meaningful possession they found themselves a goal behind. Nick Rizzo delivered a perfectly placed left-footed free kick from wide on the visitors’right, Smart was quickest to react rising above City’s flat-footed defence to glance a well directed header beyond a static Duncan Roberts and into the corner of the net.

In the period that followed City did extremely well to steady the ship as the rampant Dons looked to kill the game stone dead with a second goal. Conceding a succession of corners and free kicks the home defence was under constant pressure and Duncan Roberts did well to punch away a swinging Rizzo corner from underneath his crossbar.

As the Lilywhites hit back they forced a corner of their own on ten minutes, Matt Langston rising to Richard Scott’s flag-kick and powering a header into the feet of Dave Sadler who was crowded out from close range.

But it was Rizzo who was single-handedly keeping City penned in their own box for long periods as another dangerous left wing cross flashed across the face of goal forcing Lee Summerscales to concede a corner under pressure from Malvin Kamara.

In the Dons next meaningful attack Kamara tried his luck from distance but Roberts, making a solid start despite the goal, was comfortably behind the ball.

With twenty minutes on the clock City lifted the spirits of the home supporters as they showed they were capable of fighting back. Good work by the persistent Dale Binns created the space for Lee Summerscales to cross, Dave Sadler collected on the edge of the box, took one touch to make the angle for a shot and fired back across David Martin, beating the ‘keeper only for the ball to shave the outside of the upright.

The Dons then cut through the heart of the City defence with a quick fire passing move that freed Wade Small but the striker, a product of the club’s youth academy, failed to trouble Roberts with a low drive.

City struck back and created another very presentable chance to level. Tidy work by Craig Pope allowed Jon Stevenson to collect the ball wide on the right, move inside and drift a superbly flighted aerial pass into the path of the advancing Dale Binns, but with the Dons’ defence over-stretched the former Hendon wide man elected to shoot and blasted high much to the annoyance of Dave Sadler who was unmarked some six yards from goal.

By now the Lilywhites were proving more than a match for their Coca Cola League One opponents. Ben Chorley’s foul on Dave Sadler gave Richard Scott a further opportunity to send a free kick deep into the Milton Keynes box. Skipper Matt Langston powered a header goalwards only for Martin to tip over acrobatically at full stretch, Rob Miller firing wide from the resultant corner.

Binns then switched wings to combine with Pope and send Carl Williams clear down the right where his dangerous cross was plucked out of the air by Martin.

The Dons now found themselves confined to playing on the break and as the pacy Wade Small was held up well by Glen Fuff he laid the ball inside to French midfielder Lauren Herve who shot narrowly over the bar.

With time as good as up Carl Williams fouled Wade Small in a dangerous position just outside the City area and a well-worked free kick routine teed-up Dean Lewington who shot over the angle of post and crossbar.

Whilst City tried as best they could to up the tempo after the interval the Dons successfully took the heat of the game. They themselves carving out the first effort on goal when Matt Langston flung himself in the way of Dean Lewington’s drive as the midfielder cut in from wide on the left.

Wade Small then outpaced Richard Scott and made space for himself to shoot from a central position some 20 yards out but the finish was disappointing.

With the game an hour old a partially cleared free kick fell to Gary Smith who forced Roberts into a smart save with a rising drive. As the Dons continued to enjoy the territorial advantage Kamara got wide and whipped in a dangerous cross that was intercepted by Langston with Small poised to strike.

Gary Roberts then opted to introduce some fresh legs into a midfield struggling to contain the pace of their opponents, Rob Miller making way for Alex Fiddes.

With City vulnerable to the lightening breaks of the full-time professionals Wade Small raced clear but was held up sufficiently by an intelligent piece of defending by Pope to allow Roberts to complete the job by diving at the striker’s feet.

Goalscorer Allan Smart picked up a yellow card for dissent, his final contribution as he was immediately replaced by Izale McLeod.

City then spurned what appeared to be an excellent chance to level. A probing centre hit from left to right by Summerscales found Williams who squared across the box with a header which fell invitingly for Alex Fiddes but with only Martin to beat the former Redbridge midfielder couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet and his shot lacked the power to trouble the England U19 ‘keeper.

With Rizzo withdrawn from the action at the expense of Alex Tapp free kick duties passed to skipper Steve Palmer whose curling delivery from the left narrowly evaded McLeod with Roberts looking less than comfortable.

With time against him Gary Roberts introduced Robbie Simpson in place of left back Lee Summerscales as City switched to a 3-4-3 formation for the final fifteen minutes.

From another well worked free kick the Dons came close again as Gary Smith’s deflected effort dipped alarmingly at the last minute just clearing the crossbar.

With the game now switching from end to end good work by Williams earned City another corner, yet again Langston climbed highest to Scott’s place kick but disappointingly his header flashed across the face of goal and wide, at which point many around Milton Road resigned themselves to the fact that tonight wasn’t going to be their night.

The Dons then wasted a very good opportunity to seal their victory when McLeod laid the ball inside for Small only for the striker to produce another wayward finish when well placed to work Roberts.

McLeod was giving the City defence different problems to those posed by Smart and despite Craig Pope again doing exceptionally well to contain his lightening pace he couldn’t stop the former Derby striker bending a shot around Roberts from the right hand edge of the home side’s box. With the Lilywhites custodian fully extended the ball struck the inside of his post, rebounded and hit him on the back, Matt Langston alert to the danger first on the scene to tidy up with Small closing in.

With City piling forward in a last ditch effort to snatch a leveller Chorley headed clear from Stevenson who was looking to benefit from Pope’s lofted free kick.

Pope, who along with Matt Langston was the main contender for the Lilywhites ‘man of the match’ award then prompted City’s final assault on goal by playing a neat ball into the feet of Simpson who turned away and drove in a low cross which was smothered by the safe hands of Martin in front of Dave Sadler as the underdogs last chance evaporated and their courageous Cup run came to an end.

Whilst the immediate reaction will be one of disappointment the Milton Road club have performed well beyond expectation in this year’s competition, reaching the Second Round for the first time in their history. Regardless of the result the evening was a superb occasion and it can only be hoped that a significant proportion of those attracted by the glamour of the FA Cup will continue to support a team whose, quality and commitment are deserving of a wider audience.