Walsall 0-2 MK Dons: Pressure intensifies on Mat Sadler after seven-match winless run

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy capitalised on a poor pass from Priestley Farquharson to open the scoring for MK Dons in the 30th-minute.

Daniel Kanu forced Dons goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray into a pair of second half saves, but Jon Mellish added a second on 85 minutes to condemn Walsall to a second successive home defeat.

That extended the Saddlers' winless run on home soil to five games and saw them fall 11 points behind the automatic promotion places.

Top scorer Kanu started after recovering from illness, as Sam Hornby deputised between the sticks for the suspended Myles Roberts.

Dan Crowley came closest for the visitors during an uneventful first 29 minutes when his volley was blocked in front of goal. 

But Walsall were pretty watertight defensively until an astonishing mistake from Farquharson gifted the Dons' the opener on the half-hour mark. 

Farquharson undercooked a risky pass, which Courtney Clarke was unable to reach, and Hepburn-Murphy accepted the gift when he slotted a composed finish into the far bottom corner.

There was nothing in terms of a reaction from Walsall who were unable to get out of their own half.

The threat in the final third was non-existent from the Saddlers and they finished the first period without registering a single attempt on goal.

Walsall did at least begin to take more risks early in the second half. Aaron Pressley blazed over from 20 yards and Kanu drew a smart near post save from Craig MacGillivray. 

Yet they were unable to apply sustained pressure and there were large periods where their attacking approach was far too predictable. 

Clarke tried his luck from distance and sent a powerful effort whistling wide of the near post and MacGillivray pushed away another low shot from Kanu.

Things got even worse for Walsall when Mellish sealed the win for MK Dons with five minutes remaining. Walsall failed to clear their lines from a set piece and Mellish stabbed past Hornby from close-range.

That prompted further calls for Sadler to be sacked as fans began to spill towards the exit.

Next, Walsall face local rivals Shrewsbury Town at Croud Meadow in the early kick-off on Saturday.

Teams 

Walsall (3-1-4-2): Hornby; Farquharson, Flint, Lopata (Burke 76); Comley; Clarke (Loupalo-Bi 82), Pattison (Jellis 59), Lakin (Richards 59), Okeke (Adomah 76); Pressley, Kanu.

Not used: Kilroy, Harper.

MK Dons (3-5-1-1): MacGillivray; Ekpiteta, Nelson, Offord; Jones (Lemonheigh-Evans 87), Crowley (Hogan 74), Kelly (Sanders 90 +2), Gilbey, Mellish; Wiles; Hepburn-Murphy (Nemane 90 +2).

Not used: Trueman, Tomlinson, Leko.

Other details 

Referee: Peter Wright (Dean Watson)

Attendance: 5,131 (485)