We take a look at how the press sat in the Press Box at Meadow Lane viewed our 2-1 last-gasp defeat to MK Dons on Boxing Day.

Jemal Johnson scored a minute into injury time following a corner to snatch victory for the League Two leaders, who had drawn level in the fourteenth minute through Mark Wright to cancel out Richard Butcher's early opening goal.

Nottingham Evening Post Report by James Pallatt

It was five years ago yesterday that the Magpies made a memorable and stirring fight-back to beat Barnsley 3-2 at Meadow Lane, with Ian Baraclough scoring a dramatic last-minute winner.

It is still the last time, incredibly, Notts won on Boxing Day despite an impressive display against League Two leaders MK Dons on the same stage.

Richard Butcher's early goal inspired hope history could be rewritten, before Mark Wright levelled and substitute Jemal Johnson inflicted the cruellest of defeats in injury-time.

Notts were beaten, but they were never outfought or outclassed by the outstanding side in the division and though they take no points out of the encounter, they can take plenty of heart.

Boss Ian McParland was forced into making two changes to his line-up from the 1-1 draw at Dagenham on Saturday, with Krystian Pearce suspended and Jason Lee suffering with flu - though the striker made the substitutes' bench.

Gary Silk and Andy Parkinson both came into the side as the Magpies adopted a 4-3-3 system.

Parkinson lined up on the right wing, with Myles Weston switching to the opposite flank, and Silk joined Neil MacKenzie and Butcher in the centre of midfield. Butcher was pushed forward behind lone attacker Lawrie Dudfield.

Stephen Hunt was shifted to centre-back and Austin McCann reverted to left-back.

The Magpies were forced to absorb some early pressure from the visitors before breaking the deadlock on nine minutes, with their first purposeful attack.

Dudfield seized possession of the ball just inside his own half and beat two players before sweeping the ball out to Parkinson on the wing.

He left Dean Lewington trailing in his wake and then measured a cross into the penalty area for Butcher to head past Willy Gueret from close-range. It was an extraordinary goal in its build-up and execution, and it gave the home fans an early lift-off into orbit.

They were quickly brought back down to earth as the league leaders hit back six minutes later through Wright, who rifled past Notts' keeper Kevin Pilkington from point-blank range after a move involving Lloyd Dyer and Kevin Gallen.

The visitors came close to completing a remarkable comeback a minute later when Colin Cameron sent a diving header, from Dyer's cross, against the far post.

Cameron was again in the thick of the action to force an outstanding save out of Pilkington on 24 minutes, following a clever free-kick routine.

Keith Andrews lifted the ball into the penalty area and Gallen nodded it back into Cameron's path. He unleashed a venomous volley that Pilkington parried at full-stretch.

The visitors continued to scythe through the Magpies at will but Andrews and Dyer both fired wide.

It was Notts who ended the first half with a flourish, with Weston making a blistering break from the halfway line only to be unceremoniously halted by Sean O'Hanlon and Luke Howell.

Howell received a caution from referee Mike Riley for the blatant block before MacKenzie curled the subsequent free-kick to the far post, forcing Gueret to tip the ball around his left-hand upright.

The second half began slowly before MK Dons' midfielder Alan Navarro enjoyed the first sight of goal on 55 minutes. But he failed to trouble Pilkington with a miscued effort.

Butcher, typically, led the Magpies' reply minutes later with an impressive burst forward before laying the ball to Dudfield who was brought down by Navarro just outside the penalty area.

MacKenzie fired the free-kick against the wall.

The visitors responded with Wright flashing an effort wide of the far post, after cutting inside McCann onto his left foot, on 66 minutes. And a minute later the winger turned provider for Gallen, who turned a strike at goal that Pilkington proved equal to.

McParland introduced Lee for Parkinson on 79 minutes, with Weston switching to the left wing.

The move reaped almost instant reward as Weston forced a corner. Butcher's first attempt was cleared to MacKenzie on the edge of the area and when he recycled it back to Butcher he sent an in-swinging cross into the box that captain Adam Tann headed inches wide of the far post.

Lee then came close to his first goal of the season on 88 minutes, stooping to head Dudfield's low cross at goal, but Gueret saved well.

Then came the killer blow for Notts in the first minute of injury-time, with Johnson turning the ball past Pilkington from inside the six-yard box from Lewington's corner that substitute Drewe Broughton turned into the area. It was an undeserved end for the Magpies.

MK Dons Official Website Report by Anthony Herlihy

Substitute Jemal Johnson struck an injury-time winner as MK Dons came from behind to snatch victory at Notts County.

Johnson popped to force in fellow replacement Drewe Broughton's flick from a Dean Lewington corner to clinch a vital three points and take the Dons six points clear at the top of League 2.

With sides around them dropping points it could prove a priceless victory in the busy Christmas period as the Dons simply forced their way past a Magpies side that took the lead early on through Richard Butcher's header.

But while playing some scintillating football in the first period, Paul Ince's Dons grabbed a deserved equaliser on 15 minutes when Mark Wright converted a cross from the impressive Kevin Gallen.

And just when a point looked on the cards, Johnson completing comeback when he pounced to the delight of nearly 600 travelling Dons supporters.

It was a sweet moment for the MK Army, who had seen their team robbed of two points here last season when Stephen Hunt scored an injury time equaliser as County came from two behind to force a draw.

But Ian McParland's were on the receiving end this time around, as the Dons completed their first league double of the season.

Following a frustrating draw at home to Brentford on Friday, Ince's men came out of the traps positively but fell behind to the home side's first attack.

Winger Andy Parkinson dropped a should beautifully to leave Lewington for dead before crossing into the centre where Butcher rose to nod into the bottom corner from six yards.

Not the start Ince was looking for but his team continued to go about their business in the way their manager has always encouraged - playing one and two-touch passing to cut through the opposition defence.

Gallen was proving a real problem for County's defence to deal with and his run created the equaliser that came within 6 minutes.

Lewington pushed on after great work from Luke Howell to win possession, slid the ball into the channel and as Gallen spun onto it, the offside flag stayed down.

The angle was tight, but the shot was never in Gallen's mind as he screwed the ball back for Wright to turn in from close range.

From that moment the Dons enjoyed a spell where they completely overran the Magpies and could have been home and hosed before half time.

Their passing was sharp, accurate and incisive and they carved County apart time and time again.

They could have had another just a minute later when Colin Cameron dived to meet a Lloyd Dyer cross and saw his effort come back off the post.

The home side were on the rack by now and goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington was called into action soon after - twice denying Gallen and then making a fantastic save from a Cameron volley that looked set to break the net.

Wright became the latest to be frustrated by Pilkington as County were caught like a rabbit in the headlights and Keith Andrews should have done better when he skewed wide when well-placed on the edge of the box.

The Dons were completely dominating, cutting County apart with one-touch football not regularly seen in League 2, but they were grateful to goalkeeper Willy Gueret, who tipped a free-kick from Neil Mackenzie round the post just before the break.

With Sean O'Hanlon picking up an injury in the first half, defender Matt Carbon was introduced at half-time for his full Dons debut and hardly put a foot wrong as the Dons got straight on the front foot.

It was defence against attack at times as the Dons continued to commit bodies forward and Wright was within a whisker of making a breakthrough just after the hour-mark.

Showed inside off the right flank by his marker Austin McCann, Wright readily accepted the invitation and curled a left-footed shot past the far post by inches.

With big Jason Lee thrown into the attack, the Magpies had their chances late on as skipper Adam Tann headed Butcher's cross just wide and Lee headed straight at Gueret from Lawrie Dudfield's cross.

Gallen stung the hands of Pilkington again as the Dons pressed for a winner, Howell pushing on to great effect on the right flank late on and Alan Navarro making a lung-busting run to win what proved to be a crucial free-kick towards the end.

Andrews' shot was deflected wide but from the resulting corner, Lewington swung in left-footed, Broughton hooked the ball towards goal and Johnson, on as a sub just four minutes before, did the rest.

Report by TheBucksFizz.Com - MK Dons Fanzine

The Dons come from behind to maintain the best away record in League two leaving the Dons fans singing Jingle Bells half way down the M1.

Forget the thought of this being a Christmas Cracker but County made us battle and scrap for the points. It wasn't pretty although both sides did try and play football and when the passing wasn't either intercepted or woefully hit astray it was a decent game.

The Dons right back position was evidently causing Incey the most problems with Drissa serving his second suspension and Joode being out of sorts last time out against Brentford. So it was no real surprise to see Luke Howell make his second league start. Most would have expected the problems to come down the right hand side with Luke having to get used to the pace of the game but it was Lewington on the left who seemed to be most shaky as Parkinson was beating him time after time in the opening minutes.

The third time Lewi was beaten the home side took the lead from the resulting corner. A free header beat a static Gueret on his line. It was the spark that brought the Dons to life and it was all Dons from here on in to half time. The midfield began to tick but unusually it was Cameron who ran the show as both Navarro and particularly Andrews who were having off days, the skipper seemed to have his boots on the wrong feet.

The Dons replied to County's goal less than ten minutes from going behind in a sweeping move that saw Marky Wright steer his shot across the goal into the far corner. A move which began with another Lewington mistake, this one fooled his marker and seconds later it was one apiece. Minutes later Cameron hit a post with a flying header from a Dyer cross and before half time the Dons had four other decent chances but it seemed Pilkington had his fairy godmother working overtime.

On the stroke of half time Howell and O'Hanlon snuffed out a County attack in cynical style that got Howell booked, the free kick on the edge of the box was heading for the corner of the net but Big Willy got his hand to it and turned it around the post.

Matt Carbon made his Dons league debut in a surprise half time substitution where he replaced O'Hanlon. The feeling was we'd be exploited down the left hand side of our defence and although County came at us harder than the start of the first half. The Dons got through the initial attacks and tried to settle into their usual stride, but the spluttering Andrews-Navarro combination meant things just weren't flowing.

It really was scrappy now, neither side could get on top and take control and it seemed the game was heading for a draw when Navarro broke through on goal and he was tripped on the edge of the box by the last man and in Mike Riley's only real decision making moment he bottled it and showed a yellow.

The free kick was deflected for a corner, but Lewi hurled it hard and low and the two subs managed to turn the ball in for the winner. Firstly Drewe Broughton steered it goalwards it was blocked inside the six yard box only to fall into Johnson's path he needed no invite to poke the ball into the bottom corner of the net in front of the 591 Dons fans.