ONE day, just one day, Lancaster City will get the rub of the green... because whoever walked under a ladder or broke a dozen mirrors has now been punished enough.

City's dreadful lack of big match good fortune has one day got to change.

A Peter Thomson own goal at Northampton six years ago cost the Dolly Blues dear after they had led and a last minute winner for Cambridge United last season was also cruel.

And the bad luck continued on Saturday as City's FA Cup day out at Milton Keynes Dons ended in sadness.

To make matters worse they had a stonewall penalty waved away - and a big chunk of their travelling army of fans missed the game through traffic delays.

The Dolly Blues deserved more than brave defeat as they gave as good as they got against a Dons side who were quicker and fitter - and three divisions higher up the football ladder.

Okay, City's clear-cut chances were few and far between - but aside from their goal Milton Keynes were not exactly a huge threat to a City defence marshalled sup-erbly by Paul Sparrow.

They lapsed just once - and then it took a pinball-like effect to give Wade Small his chance.

But the real turning point of the game came after 25 minutes when that penalty appeal was waved away.

City were on top and pinning Dons back into their own half when the ball broke to Ryan Zico Black, whose goalbound shot was handled by defender Harry Ntimban-Zeh with three City forwards prowling for any rebound. The ground fell into astonished silence when referee Trevor Kettle waved play on.

Kettle later admitted he may have got his decision wrong - but that was no consolation for Phil Wilson's men, who worked their socks off at the National Hockey Stadium and grittily stuck to their task against a side full of pace, skill and trickery.

They kept the Dons at bay through the crucial opening stages and should have gone in front just after the penalty claim when Black, under pressure, poked wide from eight yards.

Sparrow was beaten for pace just once in the first half when Small darted through only to trip over the ball - Dons' ludicrous appeals for a free kick and a red card for Sparrow thankfully and rightly fell on deaf ears.

Small then wasted a good chance as he headed wide from six yards, but by and large City looked comfortable.

But two minutes after half time, the lightning-quick Malvin Kamara raced down the right and crossed. The ball deflected off Joe McMahon, hit Andy Scott on the back and fell to Small, who made no mistake.

It was plain cruel and shocked City, and for a few anxious minutes it appeared they might cave in under sustained pressure - but not this side.

They roared back to life. Wilson sent four men into attack with two wing-backs joining in at every opportunity and the Dons were rocking.

Steve Jones sent a header narrowly wide from Tony Sullivan's cross, while McMahon - the replay hero against Scarborough - was inches away from levelling with another late, late header.

The hordes in attack meant there was space for the Dons - and Jamie Speare made a fine late save to keep it at 1-0.

A second goal would have been more than unjust as City's magnificent and noisy fans saluted their heroes. They may have been beaten - but they were anything but disgraced.

CITY: Speare, Clarke (Elderton 77), Sparrow, McMahon, Scott, Hollis (Sullivan 71), Bauress, Black, Prince (Dawes 58), Jones, Thomson. Subs not used: Uber-schar, Yeomans.

Referee: Trevor Kettle (Berkshire)