Notts County add to MK Dons' humiliation with comfortable victory

MK Dons’ miserable season continued on Wednesday night with a lifeless 3-0 defeat on the road at Notts County.

After a nondescript first-half from both sides, David McGoldrick netted barely two minutes after the restart to spark Dons’ collapse. Nick Tsaroulla capitalised on a napping Joe Tomlinson to add a second on 54 minutes before Will Jarvis bent in a beauty with 16 minutes to go to complete the rout.

After he was ironically cheered off the pitch by Dons supporters on Saturday, Liam Kelly was kept on the bench by interim boss Ben Gladwin for the trip to Notts County. Kane Thompson-Sommers came into the side, making his first start for a little over two months.

With both sides eager to play possession-based football, the first-half was as nondescript as they come.

While County had the lions share of the ball, they did precious little to trouble Connal Trueman’s goal, though Dons too struggled to create any openings to trouble Sam Sloocombe.

In fact, it was mistakes from both sides which led to the best chances of the game - Slocombe’s duff clearance found pantomime villain Dan Crowley only for him to over-hit his cross, while Dons’ dallying at the back nearly gave the opener to experienced frontman David McGoldrick.

McGoldrick would not have to wait long to get that opener though, with the second-half barely two minutes old before he bent a brilliant strike, albeit with shades of offside, into the top corner to begin Dons’ collapse.

Just as on Saturday against Fleetwood, the goal early in the half acted as a catalyst for Dons’ downfall, and there was an air of inevitability when Joe Tomlinson was caught napping to allow Nick Tsaroulla to lash in County’s second seven minutes to double their advantage.

Ineffective every time they crossed the half-way line, Dons barely caused Slocombe any issues all night, with the hapless Danilo Orsi replaced on the hour-mark without a chance to his name.

County’s third was the pick of the bunch with 16 minutes to go, Will Jarvis bending home a wonderful effort from the edge of the box to complete Dons’ humiliation for a second time this season.

Referee: Alan Young

Attendance: 8,920 (265 away)

Notts County: Slocombe, Bedeau, Platt, Grant (Traore 75), Whitaker (Edwards 75), McGoldrick (Hinchy 79), Palmer, Tsaroulla (Gordon 75), Macari (Johnson 79), Abbott, Jarvis

Subs not used: Miller, Jatta

MK Dons: Trueman, Offord, Sanders, Maguire, Tomlinson, Nemane, Lemonheigh-Evans, Thompson-Sommers (Leko 75), Crowley, Gilbey, Orsi (Hogan 62)

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Kelly, O’Reilly, Tripp, Waller

Booked: Thompson-Sommers, Palmer, Gilbey, Edwards