Dons ease to win over Rushden in first pre-season game

Pre-season got underway in comfortable fashion for MK Dons on Tuesday night as they cruised to a 4-0 win over AFC Rushden & Diamonds.

Two goals in either half gave Liam Manning’s men a routine win in their first run-out, with goals from first team regulars Josh McEachran, Dan Kemp, Nathan Holland and Ethan Robson.

Donning their new home kit for the first time, Dons looked a decent unit in the opening 45 minutes at Hayden Road. In typical pre-season fashion, the first team regulars looked to be going through the motions in routine fashion, barely troubled by their Southern League Premier Division Central opponents.

Conor Grant was the only summer signing to be on the pitch in the first half, and he made a quick impact in front of his new supporters by winning a penalty on 25 minutes, skipping through the Rushden defence only to be downed in the box. Josh McEachran made no mistakes from the spot to give the visitors the lead.

Callum Tripp, at just 15, looked an exciting prospect for the visitors, making a good impression in the centre of the park and it was his quick feet which saw Dons double their lead 14 minutes later. Winning the ball in the centre circle, Tripp surged forwards and slid in Dan Kemp, who cut onto his right foot and fired past former England U19s goalkeeper Dean Snedker.

The second half was all change for Liam Manning's side but their control of the game continued. Zak Jukes and Jack Tucker were seldom troubled by the Rushden attack, but they had keeper Ronny Sandford to thank when Nathan Tshikuna poached the ball just inside the Dons half and raced through on goal, only for the teenage stopper to deny him with his feet.

New signings Darragh Burns and Nathan Holland both looked threatening when given the ball wide, with the Irishman zipping a few good balls into the mixer just out of reach of Matt Dennis.

Holland though would be the one to extend Dons' lead to three goals on 65 minutes, finishing a great move from a narrow angle after some patient build-up from Edward Gyamfi.

The former West Ham man nearly made it 4-0 ten minutes later when he cut in from the opposite flank to fire goalwards, but it bent wide of the mark.

Robson, given the captain's armband for the second half, then curled home Dons' fourth with two minutes to go to complete the scoring.

Attendance: 862

MK Dons first half XI: Ravizzoli, Watson, O'Hora, Waller, Davies, McEachran, Tripp, Kemp, Grant, Johnson, Blennerhassett

MK Dons second half XI: Sandford, Gyamfi, Jules, Tucker, Robson, Smith, Burns, Dennis, Anker, Holland, Ilunga