Early goals fire MK Dons to derby win over AFC Wimbledon

Three goals in the opening 21 minutes ensured MK Dons claimed the spoils in the derby against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night, which also saw the visitors reduced to nine men.

The 3-1 scoreline only tells half the story of the game at Stadium MK, with first-half goals from Dan Kemp - his first for the club - an own goal from Ryan Johnson and a Warren O'Hora header ensured a blistering start.

While the hosts had chances to extend their lead, Armani Little pulled one back eight minutes after the restart, but red cards in quick succession for Husyein Biler and Paul Kalambayi would put paid to any chances they had of staging an unlikely comeback.

The result sees Dons climb up into sixth spot in League Two.

After the late heartbreak against Morecambe on Saturday, MK Dons made two changes to the side to face AFC Wimbledon, recalling skipper Dean Lewington and Cameron Norman to the defence, with Daniel Harvie and Kyran Lofthouse dropping onto the bench. Dons though were without head coach Mike Williamson in the dugout, after he suffered a family bereavement and would miss the game.

What he would later see though would be a stunning opening half-an-hour which would see his side race into a 3-0 lead. With their first attack of the game on the ten minute park, Joe Tomlinson showed Husyein Biler a clean set of heels to race to the byline, pulling it back for Dan Kemp to score his first goal for MK Dons, and a simpler goal he could not have wished for.

There was a huge slice of fortune involved in the second six minutes later when Alex Gilbey's clever flick looked to be heading towards Max Dean, but defender Ryan Johnson got a toe to it, looping the ball up and over keeper Alex Bass to double the lead.

Dons were in wonderland by the 21 minute mark when Warren O'Hora headed in Ethan Robson's cross to add the third.

And the score line did not flatter the home side either, as they threatened to add a fourth when Max Dean fired narrowly wide, and again when Cameron Norman forced Bass into a save, comfortably dictating proceedings for much of the opening half.

The one blot Dons would suffer was Norman limping out at the end of the half after colliding with Aron Sasu as he ushered the ball out of play, forcing Ian Watson into a change, bringing on Kyran Lofthouse.

It threatened to be more of the same in the second-half when a scything move almost carved out Dons' fourth only for Bass to deny Kemp a brace not long after the restart, but life would be made harder for the home side on 53 minutes.

Keeper Filip Marschall, who had barely been called upon in the opening half, played a dangerous ball to Payne on the edge of the box, and it allowed Armani Little to nip in ahead of him, and pick out the bottom corner to reduce the lead to two goals.

And for the next ten minutes it would be a nervous time for Dons as they had to weather a bit of pressure from the visitors, but they would get hit with two red cards in eight minutes from almost identical fouls.

Twice, Dean was sent through over the top to race through on goal, and first was tripped by Biler on 65 minutes, and then eight minutes later by Paul Kalambayi, who was a first-half substitute, to reduce the visitors to nine men for the remainder.

And it effectively killed off any hopes AFC Wimbledon would have of snatching an unlikely point. Substitutes Daniel Harvie, Ellis Harrison and Lewis Bass all forced good saves from AFC Wimbledon keeper Bass in the latter stages as Dons looked to further stretch their legs at the end.

Referee: Sunny Singh Gill

Attendance: 6,278 (651)

MK Dons: Marschall, Lewington (Harvie 63), O'Hora, Williams, Norman (Lofthouse 45), Tomlinson, Payne, Robson (Harrison 87), Kemp (Bate 86), Gilbey, Dean (Eisa 87)

Subs not used: Kelly, Smith

AFC Wimbledon: Bas, Biler, Reeves, Johnson (Kalambayi 19), Tilley (Brown 76), Davison (Gordon 46), Little, Ball (Pell 46), Currie, Sasu (Ogundere 69), Lewis

Subs not used: Tzanev, Curtis

Booked: Tilley, Payne

Sent off: Biler, Kalambayi