MK Dons confirm League One return after beating Tranmere

MK Dons will return to League One next season as a 3-0 home win over Tranmere Rovers confirmed their promotion from League 2.

Goals by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Alex Gilbey and Callum Paterson helped the Dons sweep aside the relegation-fighting side from the Wirral and in the process confirm promotion.

Victory means MK Dons will return to League One for the first time since suffering relegation on the final day of the 2022/23 season, with a byproduct of their win also seeing MK Dons climb above Bromley to take top spot and know victory at Fleetwood on the final day will see the side win the title.

Promotion could’ve been confirmed in midweek for the Dons had Bromley beaten Salford, but a 2-0 Salford win instead meant that for the Dons, the job was simple enough.

Paul Warne’s side knew they would win promotion with victory in their last home game of the season against a Tranmere side who took a big leap towards safety after beating Cheltenham.

Looking to get an early goal to settle any nerves, MK Dons did have a few early opportunities, only for Curtis Nelson and Joe Tomlinson to miss the target with their attempts.

But just as the game began to seemingly become tighter, MK Dons would break the deadlock in the 18th minute. Tranmere only partially dealt with a long throw into the box and it fell the way of Mendez-Laing, who duly arced a strike into the bottom corner for his second goal in as many home games.

Tranmere nearly responded instantly as Charlie Whitaker’s cross fell perfectly for Kaiyne Woolery, only for the Tranmere striker to put the ball over the bar from inside the six yard box.

Things duly got better for the Dons after that when they made it 2-0 3 minutes after scoring their opener. Mendez-Laing touched the ball back for Gilbey, who duly curled a fine sweeping strike beyond the reach of Marko Marosi in the Tranmere goal.

Tranmere’s momentum was further checked when Omari Patrick was taken off injured, while the Dons would come close to a third only for Mendez-Laing and Marvin Ekpiteta to miss the target.

While the Dons entered the half with a two goal advantage, Tranmere briefly thought they had managed to cut the lead after the break as Kristian Dennis received a pass and drilled a finish beyond Craig MacGillivray. However, an offside flag denied the half-time sub from getting onto the scoreboard.

Dennis would see another strike denied by MacGillivray while Whitaker had a decent try blocked and Jayden Joseph headed an effort over as the visitors had a flurry where they began to cause MK Dons some trouble.

But MK Dons were able to stop the visitors from finding a goal back and soon set about trying to grab another as Joe Tomlinson was denied by Marosi before Paterson had an effort blocked at a goalmouth scramble.

Paterson would then grab a game-sealing third for the Dons with 13 minutes to play, as the striker’s glancing header from a Liam Kelly cross went in off the post.

That duly finished the job for the Dons, as while Gilbey and sub Aaron Collins would later see shots denied by Marosi, it was not enough for Tranmere to prevent the home side from taking the points.

Victory means that MK Dons will return to the third tier for next season, confirming their return to the third tier for the first time in 3 years and Warne’s fifth promotion as a manager.

MK Dons: MacGillivray – Nelson, Ekpiteta, Sanders – Jones (Nemane 72), Wiles (Offord 87), Kelly (Crowley 78), Gilbey, Tomlinson – Mendez-Laing (Collins 72), Paterson (Hepburn-Murphy 87)

Subs not used: Trueman, Lemonheigh-Evans

Goal: Mendez-Laing (18), Gilbey (21), Paterson (77)

Tranmere: Marosi – Negru, Smith, Tamen – Joseph, Finley (Kenneh 78), Plant (Bristow 70), Watson – Whitaker, Woolery (Dennis 45), Patrick (Ironside 38)

Subs not used: Barrett, Norman

Booked: Finley