League Two: MK Dons 3-0 Tranmere Rovers

MK Dons secured automatic promotion and put themselves in with a chance of the League Two title with a 3-0 win over Tranmere Rovers at Stadium MK.

First-half goals from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Alex Gilbey put the hosts firmly in charge before Callum Paterson added a third late on to make sure.

It means Dons have secured automatic promotion to League One with a game to, and a win next Saturday will mean they lift the League Two trophy at Fleetwood next week.

After back-to-back wins leading into the game, Paul Warne named an unchanged side to face Tranmere Rovers. Luke Offord, back from his four-match ban, was named on the bench at the expense of Scott Hogan.

Knowing a win in front of their fans would secure automatic promotion, and send them top of the pile with a game to go, the atmosphere bubbled inside Stadium MK, and two goals in three first-half minutes settled the nerves perfectly as Dons burst into the game.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s previous goal came inside 30 seconds against Bromley two weeks earlier, his volley on 18 minutes was pinpoint through the crowd, with keeper Marko Marosi unsighted and unable to get anywhere close.

A minute later, Tranmere should have equalised but Omari Patrick put over the bar from inside the six-yard box.

Within a minute though, Dons skipper Alex Gilbey bent in a beauty from the edge of the box after exchanging a one-two with Callum Paterson to make it 2-0 after 20 minutes.

With the hard work effectively done, it was a relative cruise for Dons for the remainder of the game. Tranmere had a spirited go at the start of the second-half when they had a goal ruled out for offside when substitute Joe Ironside had the ball in the net, but the hosts did more than enough to stifle them.

The icing was put on the cake with 12 minutes to go when Callum Paterson headed home his 15th goal of the season to make sure of the result and securing Dons place in League One.

Victory next week at Fleetwood Town will secure them the League Two title.

Referee: Tom Reeves

Attendance: 13,110 (622)

MK Dons: MacGillivray, Nelson, Sanders, Ekpiteta, Tomlinson, Jones (Nemane 72), Kelly (Crowley 80), Gilbey, Wiles (Offord 88), Mendez-Laing (Collins 72), Paterson (Hepburn-Murphy 88)

Subs not used: Trueman, Lemonheigh-Evans

Tranmere Rovers: Marosi, Smith, Whitaker, Finley (Kenneh 80), Patrick (Ironside 38), Joseph, Tamen, Plant (Bristow 70), Negru, Woolery (Dennis 46), Watson

Subs not used: Barrett, Norman

Booked: Finley, Bristow