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Milton Keynes Dons huffed and puffed in their first match after the winter transfer window closed, falling short at home to Bromley who performed the ultimate smash-and-grab.
Having been outplayed by the hosts, and, having a Michael Cheek penalty saved, Bromley scored a second-half counter attack through Ben Thompson to secure all three points.
There were vehement calls for a penalty kick for the hosts waved away by Referee James Durkin, a moment that proved costly as the victors walked away with a full share of the spoils.
Having 13 shots during the match, but only two on target speaks volumes for a side in desperate need of goals.
MK Dons have slipped further in the table, now sitting in 14th place, ten points outside of the Playoff positions with 16 matches to go.
The Dons are on a current run of one win in their last six matches, which does not make pretty reading for the Buckinghamshire outfit who had sights set on so much more.
Milton Keynes, under two head coaches, have practically built two squads during the season, with only five players from the opening matchday squad against Bradford City in August, remaining and featuring six months later.
The squad has seen such an overhaul over the last window, with nine players arriving and 13 players outgoing since December.
Having such an unsustainably high number of transfers cannot be the basis on which to build the foundations of a cohesive unit.
Whilst this is a firm signal of intent from the Kuwaiti ownership, it is also a squad that has been built with the future in mind, given that the calibre of player signed being those with a perceived ‘higher ceiling’ than that of League Two, fourth-division football.
Two signings of real intent were that of creative midfielder, Dan Crowley and striker, Danilo Orsi.
Crowley, hot off the back of an excellent previous campaign combining with a stellar first half of the season at Promotion-pushing Notts County, joined for a reported £400,000 fee.
Entering the final six months of his contract, there were potential suitors in the services of the 27-year-old, some as high as the Championship, but the Dons dug deep into their pockets to capture the talented playmaker before any competitor swooped.
Crowley was awarded the Man of the Match honours for his display against Bromley despite the loss, after making 75 passes, three of which were in the final third between the defence, and one which created an untaken goalscoring opportunity.
Orsi, another signing over the window just gone, emphasises the Dons faith in their current head coach, Scott Lindsey.
The 28-year-old striker was the lynchpin in the successful Crawley Town promotion push from League Two last season, coached by Lindsey before he moved up the M1, to Milton Keynes.
Scoring 23 goals in the campaign, he spearheaded the attack and scored a hat-trick in the Playoff Semi-Finals against Milton Keynes, before a decisive goal in the Final, as his side beat Crewe Alexandra to gain a rise in the Football pyramid.
This season, Orsi found himself moving to Burton Albion and subsequently led their frontline, scoring six and assisting thrice for the Brewers. Lindsey, has called on his tried and trusted striker of last season to get the Dons hitting the back of the net with more frequency than present.
Scott Lindsey cannot complain about not being supported in terms of signings. Of the 18 that were in the matchday squad, eight have been arrivals since the new regime began.
The biggest change was rather unforeseen entering the final days of the window.
As the clock ticked closer and closer to the closing deadline, striker Ellis Harrison, who had become more of a peripheral figure this season, featured on 19 occasions, but, only four of these were as a starter and only once did he play the full 90 minutes.
Having moved on, this opened the door for Orsi to join. Having came off the bench for a cameo appearance against Bromley, the signs were there of a hardworking striker but no chance or opportunity fell in his direction.
Another similar recruitment saw goalkeeper Connal Trueman arrive through the door and make an immediate impact, saving a penalty on his debut.
Another deadline day signing, similar to Orsi, was thrown in at the deep end having to start straight away, given the injury to number one before his arrival Craig MacGillivary.
MacGillivary, now an unfortunate long-term absentee himself having suffered a broken rib in training.
Trueman, having only just 12 previous first-team appearances in the last four years to his name, produced a string of saves to keep his side in it until the dying end.
Where do the Dons and Lindsey go from here?
With a tough run of three consecutive away matches to follow in February, travelling to Barrow, Tranmere Rovers, and Bradford City, there will need to be frank discussions and hard work employed in training, to see a turnaround in form and fortune.
