Jersey Mike’s Subs Trophy: MK Dons 7-1 Brentford U21s
An Aaron Collins hat-trick helped guide MK Dons to an emphatic 7-1 victory over Brentford U21s to effectively ensure their qualification in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy.
Defender Charlie Goode opened the scoring on 29 minutes before a lengthy caused by a nasty-looking injury to Brentford’s Luka Bentt brought about 13 minutes of stoppage time.
Collins netted twice in time added on before completing his hat-trick three minutes after the restart to put the result beyond doubt before Ibrahim Fullah made it 5-0 with 40 minutes still to play.
Sam Nombe would miss a penalty before getting his first goal back in Dons colours after his summer move from Rotherham before Sim Troso netted a cracker to make it 7-0 with 19 minutes remaining.
Brentford would give their travelling supporters a reason to cheer at the death when substitute Naeem Giscombe pulled back for the visitors to deny Dons a clean sheet, but the win all but confirms them a spot in the knock-out stages of the competition.
With two weeks between games, Paul Warne opted to go with a pretty strong side with just two academy players lining up against the young Bees.
And they flexed their muscles through the first-half as they penned in the visitors to take a comfortable lead in with them at the break, but it was a period marred by a nasty injury to one of the Brentford youngsters.
A slow burner for much of the early knockings, the game hinged on two moments involving Charlie Goode. The first came on 29 minutes when he headed home Sam Silvera’s cross to give Dons the lead, but moments later, the defender collided with Luka Bentt, who needed medical assistance on the field before being lifted off on a stretcher after nearly 15 minutes.
The stoppage had a big impact on Bentt’s Bees team-mates as they looked off-colour for the remainder of the half and saw them let slip of the game.
Jack Sanders and Aaron Collins both hit the woodwork in first-half stoppage time before the Welsh hitman netted twice, both from close range, to send Dons in 3-0 to the good at half-time.
The second-half saw Dons emphatically put the game to rest as they put the youngsters to the sword. Collins completed his hat-trick three minutes into the second-half before Fullah’s rasping finish three minutes later took the score to 5-0.
Sam Nombe, one of four half-time substitutions, then had a glorious chance to re-open his MK Dons scoring account when Fullah was sent tumbling in the box, but Rose did really well to deny him from the penalty spot.
The young keeper, despite the heavy scoreline, made a string of impressive saves to keep Dons at bay, but there was little he could do to deny Nombe from finally getting his goal with 19 minutes to go with a brilliant finish from 25 yards.
Seven minutes later, the impressive Sim Troso scored from similar range, bending home a fine left-footed finish to make it 7-0.
Just like against Crawley a couple of weeks earlier though, Dons would concede late on, with Naeem Giscombe beating Will Dennis with just a couple of minutes to go.
Referee: Gareth Thomas
Attendance: 824 (116)
MK Dons: Dennis, Goode (Ekpiteta 46), Burke, Sanders, Troso, Silvera, Crowley (Nombe 46), Wintle (Barlaser 46), Wiles (Silver 46), Fullah, Collins (Campbell 54)
Subs not used: Stacey, Perniskie
Brentford U21s: Rose, Nunes (Hanson 46), Owen, Grey, Avenell, Holland (Giscombe 87), Shield, Picotto, Klimas (Nwosu 46), Wheeler-Henry, Bentt (Oladapo-Gamu 44)
Subs not used: Wolfheimer, Trimboli, Powis
Booked: Wheeler-Henry