MK Dons boss Paul Warne spoke after his side’s thumping 5-1 win over Gillingham on Tuesday night

Paul Warne has never won a league title as a manager, but he wants to end that drought with MK Dons this season.

The side put Gillingham to the sword at Priestfield on Tuesday night with a comprehensive 5-1 win, with goals from Alex Gilbey, Gethin Jones, Marvin Ekpiteta, Ben Wiles and Liam Kelly as they moved three points clear of Cambridge United to stand alone in second place in League Two, now just two points back of leaders Bromley.

Despite having four promotions to his name in charge of Rotherham United and Derby County, none of them have come as champions. And with Dons now well-placed with ten games to go, he wants to get his hands on the trophy at the end of the season.

“My aim is the title, I’ve said it since the start of the season,” Warne said. “I’ve never had a title, I’ve had a few seconds and a few Wembley visits, but I want the title.

“If you have that mindset of just keep looking at the top, not who is behind you, that’s the best way to be. I back the players in every game, we don’t want to sit back and sit in. It’s really pleasing tonight that we took the chances when they came.

“I’ve been involved in promotion runs as a player and as a manager, and you get a sniff of when the team is in a good place. Even if we’d have lost tonight, we’d have been fine. The fact we’ve gone back-to-back is pleasing.

“We’ve played a game more than a few other teams, but the goal difference is good. I just feel like we’re going to out-score teams. That's the way I want it to be, and I want the lads to feel that in the dressing room. We’re on a good run.”

Out of sight effectively after 33 minutes with three first-half goals, the travelling Dons supporters were on course to see only the third ever win for the club at Priestfield, a previously unhappy hunting ground, having lost eight of 11 trips prior to kick-off.

Warne’s last visit to Kent was a successful one, when Rotherham secured promotion at the expense of Dons on the final day of the season in 2022, and he left delighted again on Tuesday, adding: “It’s been excellent for me - last time I was here I won promotion!

“It was a good night and no injuries. There are different ways to win in this league, and you’ve just got to win, it doesn’t matter what it looks like.

“Out of possession, we were excellent, we chased and didn’t let them play out, our centre-halves were virtually faultless throughout too. I thought we were really good. Generally, I’m really pleased.”