Milton Keynes Dons 1-0 Northampton Town

"There is no way I will be going into the boardroom and condoning what they did. I will not be shaking Mr Winkelman's hand, I will be cheering on my team from the away end, but that is it. " Anthony Collet.

I always like to start my articles with a quote, but today I had a bucket load to choose from.

Over the past week Northampton fans had decided to use the medium of the internet to bombard Dons' websites with jibes about supporting a real club, with history.

Well, based on my experience yesterday, if that's what a real club is like, count me right out.

The Cobbler's fans (pictured), were a disgrace to their team. With more chants aimed at "The Peterborough Scum" than encouraging their own team, they did little to provide the catalyst their team dearly needed.

Northampton started the better side and had the better of the first 15 minutes, Adebayo Akinfenwa having one effort deflected and looping just over the crossbar.

This kicked the Dons into shape, Alan Navarro and Peter Leven particularly impressing in the middle of the park. Meanwhile Town begun to flail, right back Jason Crowe seemingly unable to make a foward pass whilst under pressure from the imposing Austrian winger Florian Sturm. 

Dean Lewington at left-back for the Dons was excellent, every pass he made finding a white shirt, even if the pass was 60 yards-long. Lewington created two chances with zipping crosses, both met by Aaron Wilbraham at the far post, and both missing by the narrowest of margins.

As the half hour mark approached, a goal kick from Cobblers keeper Mark Bunn bounced over both Dons centre-backs and fell to Akinfenwa, who from 8 yards out, completely missed the ball, only to get another stab, screw wide from just 4 yards out.

The Cobblers took the game by the scruff of the neck and it was Akinfenwa who came close again, forcing a save from Dons keeper Willy Gueret from just outside the penalty area. The Dons held on until half-time, but it was clear that Northampton Town were beginning to gain an advantage on the pitch.

The second half was a quiet affair to begin with, but the right-hand side partnership of full-back Carl Regan and last season's top scorer Mark Wright began to find holes in the Cobbler's defence. 

On the hour mark, the best opportunity of the match came. Wright blitzed Town's Jackman down the right-hand side, and a great ball in was nodded wide by Florian Sturm, when in reality it would have been easier to score.

The pressure was beginning to tell and on 66 minutes the breakthrough came. An old-fashioned goalmouth scramble ensued after another top quality ball in from Wright, and Wilbraham was on stand to stab the ball into the goal-mouth. Mark Bunn felt he had got the ball away before it crossed the line, but the referee's assistant disagreed and the goal was given.

The Cobbler's fans weren't happy, and so the disgrace started. The linesman who had given the goal was pelted with bottles and coins, and the game stopped for several minutes while the matter was dealt with.

The Dons moved in for the kill, Kevin Gallen, on for Sam Baldock, looked like he had never been injured as he twice defied the Cobbler's defence and forced quality saves from Bunn.

Northampton were desperate and threw on Colin Larkin and Giles Coke in an attempt to find an equalizer, and they so nearly did in stoppage time.

Larkin ran at late substitute Jude Stirling, squared to Constantine, who tricked O' Hanlon and himself squared to Akinfenwa, who was one-on-one with Gueret. The French keeper came off his line, Akinfenwa tried to dink the ball over him, but Gueret stayed big and the ball bounced off his chest.

The final whistle promplty blew, and The Dons fans celebrated a great win, underlined by steely determination. The Cobbler's fans? They had a fight amongst their fans and barraged Dons fans on their way out of the ground. 

One Town fan shouted "Why don't you support a real club!?"

Because my friend, if your club is anything to go by, "Real Clubs" are brutes and vandals.