Leon Knight's predatory finish (47), Lloyd Dyer's close range strike (77) and skipper Keith Andrews' volley (85) capped a fine display from the Dons to demolish the Shrews.

Milton Keynes controlled the game from the off and Andrews' fierce 25-yard free-kick was beaten out by Shrews goalkeeper Glyn Garner in the 12th minute before Stuart Nicholson wasted the visitors' only chance of the half when he fired straight at MK keeper Willy Gueret from 15 yards five minutes later.

Andrews, Aaron Wilbraham and Mark Wright then all went close before Knight put the Dons ahead two minutes after the break.

The diminutive striker raced onto Andrews' flick and rammed his third goal in as many games high past Garner from an acute angle.

Shrewsbury battled back and Dave Hibbert almost equalised when he fired against the crossbar from 12 yards before Nicholson was denied by a brave block from Gueret.

But Dyer doubled the Dons' lead in the 77th minute when he latched onto Knight's pass and finished well from six yards before Andrews volleyed home a poor defensive header from 14 yards to make it 3-0 five minutes from the end.

The Dons laid siege to the visitors' goal in the closing stages but Wright and Dean Lewington were both just off target as the hosts gained revenge for last season's play-off defeat to the Shrews.

MK Dons (4-4-2): Gueret; Stirling (booked for foul 74), Swailes, O'Hanlon, Lewington (booked 21 for diving); Wright (McGovern 82), Andrews (c), Cameron, Dyer; Knight, Wilbraham (booked 58 for foul) (Broughton 86): Subs: McGovern, Gallen, Broughton, Navarro, Abbey.

Shrewsbury (4-4-2): Garner; Moss, Langmead, Murdock (booked 36 for handball) (Kempson 46), Tierney; Herd, Drummond (c), Hill (Hunt 71, booked for foul 79), Pugh; Hibbert (Symes 65), Nicholson. Subs: Kempson, Hunt, Symes, Leslie, MacKenzie.

Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).

Attendance: 7,380.