Brilliant Dons stun Championship side Watford with Cup KO

MK Dons put in their best performance of the season to stun Championship side Watford at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night, winning 2-0 to progress into the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Goals from Matt Dennis and Darragh Burns ensured a comfortable passage past Rob Edwards’ side, who had, until that point, made an unbeaten start to lift at Watford.

After the 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday, Liam Manning made seven changes to his side to face Watford. Daniel Harvie and Will Grigg made their first starts back after returning from injury at the weekend, with Dawson Devoy and Darragh Burns making only their second starts since signing in the summer too. Daniel Oyegoke shifted inside to play in the back three.

Far from being overawed by the occasion and the Championship side in front of them, Dons looked fearless in the first-half and played their best football of the season so far. Burns looked every bit the players which had peaked so much interest from his performances in Ireland and proved to be a really difficult player for Watford to keep tabs on. Grigg too was showing exactly what Dons had missed in the last few weeks with some excellent touches and runs to get the visitors on the front foot.

Louie Barry and Dawson Devoy both had half-chances to test Maduka Okoye in the Watford net as they had the Hornets on the run for the majority of the half.

But there were scares as Dons tempted fate against the Championship side, playing out dangerously at the back, allowing Vakoun Bayo to get sight of goal inside the six yard box, but Jamie Cumming got down brilliantly to deny him.

Grigg, making his first start in a little over two weeks following a hamstring injury, was always set to make way towards the end of the first half as his recovery continues, but it was his replacement in Matt Dennis who gave Dons a deserved lead just before the interval. Louie Barry won the ball on half-way to release the striker, who had the excellent Burns up in support with him. Sliding in the Irishman, Dennis continued his run to the back post for Burns to pick him out for a simple finish and giving the visitors the advantage heading into the second period.

And their advantage continued after the break and just eight minutes after the restart, their lead was doubled. Winning the ball from Dan Gosling in the centre, Devoy broke forwards and with Burns and Lawrence in support, he picked out his fellow Irishman to fire into the bottom corner to give them a fully warranted 2-0 lead.

As the boos grew louder inside Vicarage Road, so did the desperation from the desperation from the home side. Led by O'Hora, the defence stood firm and more than dealt with the Watford threats, which were few and far between really.

Rey Manaj tried his hardest to dupe the referee into giving Watford a penalty on a few occasions, but referee Dean Whitestone was unmoved and unimpressed.

Dons in fact could have made it 3-0 on a few occasions, with Devoy and substitute Dan Kemp coming close but the earlier efforts were more than enough to secure their spot in the third round.

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 8,891

Watford: Okoye, Gaspar, Troost-Ekong, Manaj, Cathcart (Sema 60), Gosling, Asprilla (Blake 73), Bayo, Pollock (Sierralta 81, Hungbo (Morris 81), Kayembe (Choudhary 46)

Subs not used: Hamer, Kabasele, Forde, Delyfer

MK Dons: Cumming, O’Hora, Oyegoke, Jules, Lawrence, Harvie (Tucker 63), Smith, Devoy (Robson 79), Burns (Robson 79), Barry (Kemp 63), Grigg (Dennis 38)

Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Gyamfi, Tripp, Ilunga

Booked: O'Hora, Devoy, Oyegoke