Match ends, MK Dons 3, Northampton Town 0.
MK DonsMilton Keynes Dons3NorthamptonNorthampton Town0
MK Dons will host Chelsea in the fourth round of the FA Cup after the Championship side comfortably beat League Two Northampton in their replay.
Zander Diamond conceded a penalty after a foul on Dean Bowditch, which allowed Ben Reeves to score from the spot.
Moments before Reeves' strike, the Cobblers had put the ball in the back of the net but the goal was disallowed for a foul on goalkeeper David Martin.
Josh Murphy doubled the lead, while Simon Church scored a late penalty.
Murphy, who made a real impact after being introduced at half-time, had clipped a shot against the post before he scored after being put through by Samir Carruthers.
With just a minute remaining of normal time, goalkeeper Adam Smith brought down Robert Hall and Wales international Church converted.
The Championship side will now prepare to face reigning Premier League champions Chelsea - who won the FA Cup during current interim manager Guus Hiddink's first caretaker spell - on 31 January.
MK Dons manager Karl Robinson: "We've ridden our luck with decisions that have gone in our favour. The initial contact for the first penalty was outside the box and there was more contact on the line itself.
"Then Adam Smith has made a good save and the referee has given another spot kick. I say it when decisions go against us, so I'm being fair.
"I took a bit of a risk with the changes I made - I would have been criticised had it gone wrong for us and we hadn't won through to play Chelsea.
"It was a solid seven out of 10 performance from the lads all round - instead of a few eights and nines and some threes and fours as in other games."
Northampton Town manager Chris Wilder: "We're disappointed with ourselves because we didn't give them enough problems, but for a couple of key decisions on the night it could have been a different result.
"We felt the goal we scored should have stood and for their first penalty the foul was outside the box.
"MK Dons were the better team but from looking like we had gone 1-0 up we were then 1-0 down and that made it difficult for us."
The stats you need to know
- Ben Reeves has scored in two of his three appearances against Northampton for MK Dons, also bagging against the Cobblers in the League Cup in August 2013.
- MK Dons are the first team to score two penalties in one FA Cup game since Sheffield United in December 2014.
- Each of Josh Murphy's five goals this season (all competitions) for MK Dons have come after half-time.
Line-ups
MK Dons
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Martin
- 2Hodson
- 4UpsonSubstituted forWalshat 38'minutes
- 6Kay
- 3Lewington
- 14Carruthers
- 44Forster-Caskey
- 38Hall
- 10ReevesSubstituted forPowellat 74'minutes
- 9BowditchSubstituted forMurphyat 54'minutesBooked at 71mins
- 11Church
Substitutes
- 12Spence
- 16Walsh
- 17Powell
- 19Hitchcock
- 22Cropper
- 31Murphy
Northampton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Smith
- 2MoloneyBooked at 19mins
- 5DiamondSubstituted forCresswellat 88'minutes
- 18McDonald
- 16Buchanan
- 8Byrom
- 21O'Toole
- 11Holmes
- 14Hoskins
- 10Adams
- 9Richards
Substitutes
- 3Horwood
- 4Taylor
- 6Cresswell
- 12Lelan
- 15Potter
- 26Clarke
- Referee:
- Tony Harrington
- Attendance:
- 15,133
Match Stats
Home TeamMK DonsAway TeamNorthampton
- Possession
- Home49%
- Away51%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away4
- Corners
- Home3
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, MK Dons 3, Northampton Town 0.
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Attempt missed. Nicky Adams (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high.
Goal!
Goal! MK Dons 3, Northampton Town 0. Simon Church (MK Dons) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
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Penalty MK Dons. Robert Hall draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by Adam Smith (Northampton Town) after a foul in the penalty area.
Substitution
Substitution, Northampton Town. Ryan Cresswell replaces Zander Diamond.
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Joe Walsh (MK Dons) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town).
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David Buchanan (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Daniel Powell (MK Dons).
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Foul by Jake Forster-Caskey (MK Dons).
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John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
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(MK Dons) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by John-Joe O'Toole (Northampton Town).
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Attempt blocked. Sam Hoskins (Northampton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Attempt saved. Rod McDonald (Northampton Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
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Corner, Northampton Town. Conceded by Joe Walsh.
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Attempt blocked. Brendon Moloney (Northampton Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
