FA Cup first round: MK Dons 2-1 Swindon Town

Two goals in the opening 13 minutes were enough to see MK Dons throw their name in the hat for the FA Cup second round draw, seeing off Swindon Town 2-1 at Stadium MK.

But it was far from convincing. Despite racing into a 2-0 lead through Marvin Ekpiteta and Aaron Collins goals, his 17th of the season, Dons left the door ajar for Swindon to get back into it, and they did through the dangerous Aaron Drinan on the stroke of half-time.

A sloppy show the hosts after the break saw them play much of the game on the back-foot, with keeper Craig MacGillivray called into action twice late on to see Dons past the League Two side.

After winning three in a row heading into the FA Cup game, Paul Warne stuck largely with the side which beat Doncaster a week prior, with the only change coming in goal as Craig MacGillivray made his first appearance for the club since mid-September.

Having scored ten goals in two games leading into the game, it threatened to be a high-scorer again when Dons raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 13 minutes. Marvin Ekpiteta tapped home from close range after just two minutes before that man Aaron Collins netted his 17th goal of the season 11 minutes later, racing onto Eli Campbell’s through-ball to neatly beat keeper Connor Ripley.

Like against Doncaster, there were great chances to put the game beyond doubt too, with Campbell, Alex Gilbey and Sam Silvera all testing keeper Ripley.

But as Dons’ control grew, complacency appeared to slip in as well as the hosts began to look as though they were trying to catch the eye with some Hollywood touches and flicks.

It left the door open for Swindon to get back into it, and they came close ten minutes before the break when Joel McGregor raced down the Robins’ right, picking out Aaron Drinan at the far post but he prodded into the arms of MacGillivray.

Dons did not heed the warning though, and they were punished in first-half stoppage time when a similar break down the right, this time from Matty Virtue, caused havoc in the area as the home defence flapped, with PFA League Two Player of the Year Drinan eventually lashing home from close range to half the arrears at the interval.

And with that boost in the arm, Swindon took the game to Dons in the second-half and the old cliche of not knowing which was the lower league side showed.

Craig MacGillivray was not overly busy despite Swindon’s pressure and territory, but the Scot made two key saves to deny the Robins an equaliser.

Dons had a couple of rare saunters into the Swindon half, but both Nombe and Ekpiteta had to do better from close range, heading wide when unmarked in the middle of the goal.

In the end, the work Dons did in the first-half was enough to see them through, albeit in unconvincing fashion.

Referee: Aaron Jackson

Attendance: 3,601

MK Dons: MacGillivray, Goode, Ekpiteta, Sanders, Campbell (Bramall 80), Silvera (Jones 46), Wintle, Gilbey, Crowley (Wiles 46), Collins (Fullah 80), Nombe (Paterson 62)

Subs not used: Stacey, Barlaser, Matete, Nelson

Swindon Town: Ripley, Clarke, Negru, Ball (Millard 90), Snowdon (Pearman 73), Virtue (Palmer 73), Thompson, Butler, Munda (Majekodunmi 62), McGregor (Nichols 62)

Subs not used: Ward, Hackford, Griffiths-Brown

Booked: Munda, Nicols, Butler