MK Dons grab first competitive win of season after EFL Trophy win over Crawley Town

MK Dons picked up a first competitive win of the new season thanks to a 4-1 win over Crawley in their EFL Trophy opener.

Goals by Ben Wiles, Jack Sanders, Elijah Campbell and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy did the job for Paul Warne’s side against the League Two strugglers, with Nathan Tinsdale grabbing a late consolation for the side from Sussex.

Victory means success in the first game of the EFL Trophy campaign, with the Dons looking to get out of the group stage for the first time in three seasons.

The first contest of the newly-renamed Jersey Mike’s Trophy saw MK Dons turn up still looking for a first competitive win of the new campaign, with Paul Warne’s side taking on a similarly slowly starting Crawley Town team that arrived bottom of League Two.

A rotated MK Dons team would start slowly, however. Crawley came close as Nathan Tinsdale has a strike blocked before Gianmarco Di Biase’s rebound was saved by Will Dennis in the Dons goal.

Ibrahim Fuller nearly found a way through on his first Dons start as he saw a strike repelled by Crawley keeper Jackson Izquierdo.

But the visitors would have a decent amount of chances, with Di Biase having an effort blocked before Dennis denied a strike from Kalaudio Krasniqi.

A fairly stodgy first-half saw the two sides struggle to try and find a way through, but a decent chance would be spurned by the Dons when Rushian Hepburn-Murphy headed over from Wiles’ cross.

MK Dons were beginning to press more in the final stages of the first half and a breakthrough came in the 42nd minute. Crawley couldn’t clear their lines and the ball ended up falling kindly for Wiles, who was able to run into space before curling a shot home.

Shortly after, MK Dons found themselves a second. The hosts won a corner and Dan Barlaser’s delivery picked out Sanders, who duly headed home.

Crawley missed a fine chance to pull one back just after the second MK Dons strike as a through ball played in Louie Watson, who dragged a shot across goal that went wide.

Watson would then be denied by Dennis again shortly after half-time, while the Dons came close as a through-pass set up Hepburn-Murphy for a run and a shot that would be thwarted by Izquierdo.

MK Dons grabbed their third of the night just after the hour mark. Crawley initially cleared a free-kick but struggled to hold onto the ball and from the second attack, Dan Barlaser teed up Campbell, who duly fired home his first goal for the Dons.

It would soon be followed by a further goal for the Dons. Pele Arganese-McDermott handled Sam Silvera’s shot in the box, and Hepburn-Murphy duly sent Izquierdo the wrong way to extend the Dons’ advantage.

A neat team goal nearly fell for the Dons when a passing move ended with young sub Rian Silver releasing Barlaser, who had a snapshot go just wide.

Slightly less impressive work saw the Dons lose their clean sheet in added time, as a defensive mix-up ended up with the ball falling for Tinsdale, who duly beat Will Dennis with a low strike.

There was still time for both sides to miss further chances, as Jay Matete headed over for the Dons before Tinsdale saw a strike from range bounce off the bar.

MK Dons: Dennis – Sanders, Ekpiteta, Campbell (Troso 62) – Jones (Burke 78), Matete, Barlaser, Silvera (Boateng 88) – Wiles (Perniskie 88), Hepburn-Murphy, Fullah (Silver 88)

Subs not used: Stacey, Singh-Hurditt

Goal: Wiles (42), Sanders (45), Campbell (61), Hepburn-Murphy (pen 70)

Booked: Fullah, Matete

Crawley: Izquierdo – Robertson (Adeyemo 62), Odimayo (Ewens-Findlay 45), Arganese-McDermott, Richards – Krasinqi (Kamara 62), Barker, Ferizaj, Tinsdale – Watson (Morgan 62), Di Biase (Ebiowei 62)

Subs not used: Orsi, Arthurs

Goal: Tinsdale (90+1)

Booked: Robertson, Ferizaj