A much changed MK Dons side went crashing out of this year's Carling Cup with a whimper after a 2-1 defeat at Championship side Cardiff City.

Ross McCormack opened the scoring late in the first half from the penalty spot, and Peter Whittingham doubled Cardiff's lead in the second with a superb free-kick.

Substitute Sean O'Hanlon did pull a goal back with a bullet header, but Dons scarcely deserved more and for the second successive season they crash out in the second round.

Roberto Di Matteo made six changes to the side that beat Huddersfield
on Saturday and they never quite gelled.

The first half was full of little incident, Whittingham had a shot that whistled past the post.

Then in the last five minutes of the half Cardiff burst into life.

Firstly Willy Gueret had to parry Eddie Johnson's close-range effort onto the bar after a superb break down the left.

Then from the resulting corner Dons failed to clear and Drissa Diallo, who was on the floor caught the heel of Ricardo Scimeca as he went to shot and the referee pointed to the spot.

After a lengthy period of treatment for Scimeca, in which he was eventually subbed, McCormack kept his cool, slotting his penalty straight down the middle.

The second half started slowly until Whittingham then dazzled the crowd with a superb 30-yard free-kick that flew past the outstretched Gueret.

In reply Jemal Johnson sliced over and wide from the edge of the box, but Dons never looked like scoring.

Then from nowhere O'Hanlon met Paul Mitchell's hopeful long free-kick, guiding the ball well across the goal and into the net.

Cardiff could and should have restored their two goal lead moments later but the lively McCormack struck the post.

And by the looks of things he just didn't want to finish the game as with 10 minutes to go Paul Parry's superb dinked pass put him one-on-one with Gueret, but under pressure from Cummings he blazed miles over.

Dons rarely threatened after that as they looked short of idea and presence up front

Cardiff City: Heaton, Capaldi (Comminges 11), Purse, Whittingham, E Johnson, McPhail, R Johnson, Ledley, Scimeca (Morris 45), Blake (Parry 20), McCormarck

Subs: Enckelman, Bothroyd, Parry, Comminges, Dennehy, Thompson, Morris

Goals: McCormack 45 + 3, Whittingham 58

MK Dons: Gueret, Cummings, Diallo, Stirling (booked 49) (King 66), Lewington (O'Hanlon 66), Dobson, Mitchell, Navarro, Chicksen, Baldock, J Johnson

Subs: Abbey, O'Hanlon, Wright, Regan, Leven, Belson, King

Goals: O'Hanlon 75

Attendance 6,334