Match ends, Cardiff City 0, MK Dons 0.
CardiffCardiff City0MK DonsMilton Keynes Dons0
Cardiff City's play-off hopes suffered a setback after the hosts were held to a goalless draw by Championship strugglers MK Dons.
Tom Lawrence hit the post with a header on his debut in a disappointing first half for Cardiff, who showed more urgency after the break.
Lawrence and Anthony Pilkington had further chances but MK Dons held firm.
Nicky Maynard wasted a good opportunity for the Dons, who are two points clear of the drop zone.
Cardiff remain ninth in the table, five points off the final play-off spot.
Heavy morning rain in south Wales had put the game in doubt, but the efforts of the Cardiff City Stadium ground staff ensured the match kicked off.
Wales striker Lawrence, signed on loan from Leicester City started while fellow loanee Kenneth Zohore started on the bench.
Dons' new signing Alex Revell was forced to wait for his debut as his contract stipulated he could not face his former club.
The first half had been a scrappy affair with few chances for either side until Lawrence's glancing header struck the post.
Cardiff finished the first half strongly with David Martin palming away Stuart O'Keefe's header and Peter Whittingham firing over the crossbar.
Martin again denied O'Keefe early in the second half and the Dons keeper tipped Scott Malone's effort over the bar.
Lawrence and Pilkington went close for the home side, who were much improved in the second half.
Former Cardiff City striker Maynard should have given MK Dons the lead, but he fired over after getting the better of Matthew Connolly.
Dons top-scorer Josh Murphy's blocked effort fell kindly for Darren Potter, but the midfielder shot wide.
Bruno Manga headed wide from a corner while at the other end David Marshall, who had little to do all afternoon, made a full length save to deny Jake Forster-Caskey late on.
Cardiff manager Russell Slade:
"We know we still have a good chance of reaching the top six.
"We have lost goals from the team with players being out injured and leaving the club, so we are looking at the players coming in to get them for us.
"We did more than enough to get the three points, but we couldn't quite do it."
Mk Dons manager Karl Robinson:
"We should have had a penalty for a foul on Josh Murphy and I'm sure when the ref sees it again he will agree with me.
"We rode our luck a bit at times and David Martin made some outstanding saves, but I'm proud of the boys.
"It's our eighth clean sheet of the season and is a performance we can really build on."
Line-ups
Cardiff
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Marshall
- 3da Silva
- 5Ecuele Manga
- 16Connolly
- 28Malone
- 38AmeobiSubstituted forZohoreat 78'minutes
- 22O'Keefe
- 8Ralls
- 7Whittingham
- 13PilkingtonSubstituted forMachedaat 87'minutes
- 37Lawrence
Substitutes
- 2Peltier
- 14Macheda
- 15Dikgacoi
- 17Gunnarsson
- 21Moore
- 26Zohore
- 27Immers
MK Dons
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Martin
- 21Baldock
- 5McFadzean
- 16Walsh
- 3Lewington
- 8Potter
- 44Forster-Caskey
- 38HallSubstituted forBowditchat 87'minutes
- 14Carruthers
- 23WilliamsSubstituted forMurphyat 68'minutes
- 28MaynardSubstituted forEmmanuel-Thomasat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Bowditch
- 12Spence
- 13Emmanuel-Thomas
- 17Powell
- 20Rasulo
- 22Cropper
- 31Murphy
- Referee:
- Kevin Johnson
- Attendance:
- 13,833
Match Stats
Home TeamCardiffAway TeamMK Dons
- Possession
- Home59%
- Away41%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away2
- Corners
- Home10
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away7
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Cardiff City 0, MK Dons 0.
Post update
Attempt missed. Joe Walsh (MK Dons) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Josh Murphy with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, MK Dons. Conceded by Bruno Ecuele Manga.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jake Forster-Caskey (MK Dons) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Josh Murphy (MK Dons) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dean Lewington.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Scott Malone (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Lawrence.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by George Baldock.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Tom Lawrence (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Federico Macheda.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jake Forster-Caskey (MK Dons) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.
Post update
Foul by Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City).
Post update
Darren Potter (MK Dons) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Federico Macheda replaces Anthony Pilkington.
Substitution
Substitution, MK Dons. Dean Bowditch replaces Robert Hall.
Post update
Hand ball by Darren Potter (MK Dons).
Post update
Attempt saved. Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt missed. Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Peter Whittingham with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Kyle McFadzean.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Peter Whittingham.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Kyle McFadzean.
