THERE was a distinct feeling of déjà vu at Rodney Parade as Newport County AFC were again undone by a last-gasp strike.

Dean Bowditch came off the bench to score twice for the visitors – the second coming in the 90th minute – to send MK Dons into the next round of the EFL Cup.

The cruel blow for County, who had led 2-0, came just three days after they had conceded a late goal to lose 3-2 to Mansfield in the first game of the new League Two season.

Dons boss Karl Robinson had taken the unusual step of naming his side the day before the game, and it didn’t feature a single player that started the Milton Keynes outfit’s defeat of Shrewsbury in League One on Saturday.

To say he was giving youth a chance would be an understatement, with a host of teenagers given a chance of first-team football in the competition most fans will still refer to as the League Cup.

In contrast, Exiles boss Warren Feeney made just one change to the team that kicked off the League Two season against Mansfield.

Darren Jones came in for the first round clash to make a back three with Jamie Turley and skipper Scot Bennett, while Jennison Myrie-Williams was the unlucky man to drop to the bench.

New loan signings Jordan Green and Josh Sheehan took their place among the substitutes, and unfortunately for County, it wasn’t long before one of those replacements was called into action.

The tie was barely five minutes old when midfielder Jack Compton limped off injured to be replaced by Ben Tozer, who had also come off the bench at the weekend.

Both sides fashioned half-chances early on, Sean Rigg firing wide for the hosts and Brandon Asante doing likewise for the visitors.

Rigg then played a part in setting up a glorious opportunity for Turley.

Mark Randall took a corner short to Rigg, he delivered a pinpoint cross into the six-yard box, but Turley somehow directed his header past the post from close range.

Soon after, Randall and Rigg were in the thick of it again. On this occasion it was some deft footwork from the former that resulted in Joss Labadie being set free down the right.

He picked out Rigg but, on the stretch, the striker could only fire straight at Lee Nicholls.

You sensed a goal was not long in coming and just before the half-hour mark only a superb Nicholls save kept out Tozer’s long-range piledriver.

However, two minutes later and County were 1-0 up. Left-back Dan Butler provided the assist as his centre was side-footed into the roof of the net by Marlon Jackson.

It wasn’t that MK Dons weren’t seeing much of the ball, they were, it was just that they couldn’t turn possession into chances.

Indeed, on the other hand, County created several openings in the first half, and centre-back Turley may well have scored again when he saw an acrobatic attempt tipped over the top by Nicholls.

It was then Tozer’s turn to test Nicholls when he let fly from distance and the MK Dons captain again diverted the ball for a corner.

At the other end, County gloveman Joe Day needed to be alert when Andrew Osei-Bonsu tried to find the top corner with a long-range shot. Asante nearly went from zero to hero for his side in the blink of an eye at the start of the second period.

First, he was booked by referee Oliver Langford for diving, before blasting a shot just off target.

At 1-0 down the visitors, although second best, were by no means out of the tie, but they were dealt a huge blow nine minutes after the break.

A seemingly innocuous Jazzi Barnum-Bobb cross was handled inside his own box by George B Williams and Randall squeezed the spot-kick past Nicholls.

Robinson then decided to make a double change and Bowditch, one of those to come on, made an instant impact.

The striker won and converted a penalty of his own in the 63rd minute to get his side back in the game.

The goal gave the visitors the shot in the arm they needed and the home fans were stunned seven minutes later when Ben Tilney strode forward and unleashed a stunning left-foot thunderbolt which flew in from 25 yards out.

Loanee Green entered the fray and, after Turley had gone close yet again, he pulled the ball back for Randall to side-foot just wide.

And, just as it looked like an extra 30 minutes, Bowditch smashed a shot home from the edge of the box to send his side into the second round.

It was very cruel on County. Again.

County: Day, Barnum-Bobb, Butler, Jones, Turley, Bennett (capt), Compton (Tozer 4), Randall, Jackson (Myrie-Williams 88), Rigg (Green 74). Subs not used: Bittner, Bignot, Sheehan, Owen-Evans.

Referee: Oliver Langford Attendance: 1,402 (169 away fans) Argus star man: Mark Randall