New MK Dons era begins with defeat to Bradford City on opening day

The new era at MK Dons got underway in disappointing fashion with defeat to Bradford City.

Two goals in the opening five minutes stunned the Stadium MK crowd, and indeed new owner Fahad Al Ghanim, who was paraded in front of the supporters ahead of kick-off, as Alex Pattison blasted the visitors ahead inside two minutes, before Sam Sherring sliced into his own net two minutes later.

Alex Gilbey pulled one back for Dons on 20 minutes as the hosts got on top, but Callum Hendry and Stephen Wearne second-half missed sitters to equalise as the hosts fell to defeat.

Seven of MK Dons 12 summer signings featured in the starting line-up to face the Bantams, most notably Aaron Nemane who went straight into the side after his move from Notts County was confirmed on Friday night.

With new owner Al Ghanim presented to the supporters wearing a white home shirt, he could not have imagined a worse opening five minutes than the one he saw as Bradford struck twice.

Alex Pattison needed less than two minutes to end the Bantam's six-year goal-less streak on opening day when he rocketed the away side into the lead from the edge of the box, before the lead was doubled when a hapless Sam Sherring sliced a routine looking clearance into his own net two minutes later.

A shell-shocked home side needed another five minutes before they settled, though things did not stick in the final third. Nemane was looking lively on the right flank, and saw a lot of the ball in the opening stages, but struggled to pick out a white shirt in the box with his deliveries, while Stephen Wearne attempted an ambitious volley, but saw it bobble well wide.

For all the new signings though, it was skipper Alex Gilbey who would drag Dons back into the game. As the hosts began to get on top, he raced onto Callum Hendry's neat first-time ball around the corner, shrugged off the attentions of former Dons defender Aden Baldwin to bury the ball past Sam Walker on 20 minutes.

It gave Dons a sense of blood in the water for a spell thereafter, with Hendry and Wearne both taking aim, while Andy Cook twice spurned good opportunities for the visitors to restore their two goal advantage.

Dons did everything but score in the second-half as they continued where they left off. Hendry had a glorious opportunity to draw level just two minutes after the restart when Nemane put it on a plate for him two yards out but the striker got it all wrong and allowed for keeper Walker to make the save.

Wearne would then have almost an identical chance from the opposite flank, this time Tomlinson lining it up for him, but the former Gateshead man somehow managed to hit it behind him. He would spurn another couple of opportunities too, firing over the bar twice from inside the area before he was replaced with 20 minutes to go.

The introduction of Matt Dennis would give Dons a different edge going forwards as he looked to play more direct, forcing a great save from Walker, the rebound Gilbey could not put away as Dons suffered opening day defeat.

Referee: Tom Reeves

Attendance: 7,561 (1,726)

MK Dons: McGill, Tucker, Lawrence, Sherring, Nemane (Tripp 80), Tomlinson, Offord (Carroll 80), L Kelly, Gilbey, Wearne (Leigh 70), Hendry (Dennis 65)

Subs not used: Harness, Lewington, Harrison

Bradford City: S Walker, Halliday, Byrne, Smallwood, Kavanagh (Shepheard 84), Cook (J Walker 69), Sarcevic (Oliver 84), Baldwin, Pattison, Wright (Odour 69), C Kelly

Subs not used: Doyle, Young, Pointon

Booked: Offord