"That one was for the gaffer": Dons' derby win dedicated to Williamson family

It was an emotional night for MK Dons as their emphatic 3-1 win over bitter rivals AFC Wimbledon was dedicated to Mike Williamson and his family.

The Dons head coach was absent from the dugout at Stadium MK on Tuesday night after suffering a family bereavement, but what he would have seen from his side was as consummate a performance yet under his tenure.

Having squandered plenty of opportunities to put the game to bed on Saturday in the 2-1 defeat to Morecambe, Dons made no mistake against AFC Wimbledon, firing themselves 3-0 up inside the opening 21 minutes to effectively kill the game there and then.

Dan Kemp got his long-awaited first goal for the club after 10 minutes, before a Ryan Johnson own goal six minutes later doubled the lead, while Warren O’Hora’s 21st minute header cemented the home side's dominance.

While Armani Little pulled one back for AFC Wimbledon early in the second-half, their hopes were not just dashed but stamped out when Husyein Biler and then Paul Kalambayi were given their marching orders for identical fouls on Max Dean eight minutes apart, reducing the visitors to nine for the last 17 minutes.

While the win lifts Dons to sixth in League Two, assistant head coach Ian Watson and scorer O’Hora dedicated the win to the Williamson family.

“We wanted to win the game regardless, but when you hear that news, you want to win it that little bit more,” said the Irishman. “We're glad, and I'm sure the gaffer is as well. Our condolences to him and his family.”

Long-time assistant Watson said Williamson had little involvement in the build-up to the game, but hoped the news of the win helped lift his spirits a little.

“That one was for the gaffer,” he said. “We all said in the dressing room that we wanted him to just check his phone at 10pm and see that we've won and make him feel a little bit better.

"Everything happened really quickly, so he hasn't had too much involvement and I've not really had the chance to talk to him, but we've worked together for a long time, we know the ideas and bounce off each other. I'm so proud of the boys.

"They've made it so much easier than it could have been. It has been a really tough week for everyone, but full credit to the boys who have pulled together to help us."