Three goals in the first ten minutes helped Milton Keynes Dons Under-18s to a deserved 5-2 win in their latest match in the Youth Alliance League at Woughton-on-the-Green on Saturday morning.
A double from Brandon Thomas-Asante, a penalty from Adam Hunt and further goals from Finn Tapp and sub Sam Nombe helped the hosts to an impressive victory against the side from Kent.
The Dons took the lead with their first chance just four minutes in as Hugo Logan played a good ball through to fellow midfielder Tapp, who hit a left-footed shot into the net from the edge of the box to make it 1-0.
Two minutes later the Dons doubled their lead with their second chance as a through ball found Thomas-Asante who, from just inside the box, finished into the left side of the net in similarly composed style to Tapp to make it 2-0.
An action-packed first 10 minutes continued a couple of moments later as the match swung decisively the Dons way when they were awarded a penalty.
A superb cross-field ball from right to left by right-back Peter Kioso picked out the lively Thomas-Asante, who was brought down inside the box by Gills player Finn O’Mara.
Referee Jordan Cushen then showed O’Mara a straight red card as he judged that he had denied the Dons number nine a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Dons captain Adam Hunt opted to take the penalty and converted it into the right hand side of the net, sending the keeper to the left, and in the process giving the home side a 3-0 lead after just nine minutes.
The visitors, despite having to make two changes in the opening 15 minutes, managed to get a goal back when one of the substitutes Bradley Stevenson controlled the ball on the edge of the area and finished it into the left corner of the net to reduce the deficit to 3-1.
The home side, with the man advantage, were still largely dictating the game and had a chance to extend their lead following good interplay on the edge of the area which saw the ball come to Thomas-Asante on the edge of the box. The forward turned impressively before rifling a shot just over the crossbar.
Thomas-Asante was at the heart of the action again on 34 minutes as he scored his second of the game to restore the Dons three-goal lead.
The ball was crossed from the right by skipper Hunt before Thomas-Asante turned sharply inside the area and shot low into the left corner once again to make it 4-1.
A brilliant half was almost capped with a fifth goal just moments before the break as midfielder Connor Furlong whipped a ball in from the right however the Dons couldn’t turn the ball in despite a goalmouth scramble.
The first real action of the second period saw the Gills get another goal back through sub Stevenson who took the ball down inside the box and finished into the left hand corner past keeper Andrew McCorkell, who got a hand to the ball but couldn’t prevent it from going in and making the score 4-2.
The hosts capped off an excellent morning’s work with just nine minutes left as substitute Nombe was played through and finished into the left side of the net from the edge of the box to make it 5-2.
After the match Dons Director of Youth Mike Dove said: “I thought we made a real bright start today and took our chances.
“I was very impressed with our forward play and we did have other opportunities as well.
“It didn’t go very well for Gillingham as they had a player sent off and had to make a couple of changes but I said to our boys they could only deal with what was in front of them and they had to be clever with their thinking and make the most of the numerical advantage and make it count.
“We dominated early, they came back into it particularly at the start of the second half because we overplayed a bit at the back but then we had a period when we stepped up and showed some intelligent play so it was a mixed game but overall it was another great learning day.”
MK Dons (4-1-2-3): McCorkell: Kioso, Steele, Omar (Kasumu 55), Stratton: Hunt (capt): Osei-Bonsu, Tapp (Owusu 51): Furlong, Logan, Thomas-Asante (Nombe 71).
Sub not used: Wyant.
Booked: Kasumu 90+1.
Goals: Tapp 4, Thomas-Asanie 6, 34, Hunt 9 (pen), Nombe 81.
Referee: Jordan Cushen.
The Dons took the lead with their first chance just four minutes in as Hugo Logan played a good ball through to fellow midfielder Tapp, who hit a left-footed shot into the net from the edge of the box to make it 1-0.
Two minutes later the Dons doubled their lead with their second chance as a through ball found Thomas-Asante who, from just inside the box, finished into the left side of the net in similarly composed style to Tapp to make it 2-0.
An action-packed first 10 minutes continued a couple of moments later as the match swung decisively the Dons way when they were awarded a penalty.
A superb cross-field ball from right to left by right-back Peter Kioso picked out the lively Thomas-Asante, who was brought down inside the box by Gills player Finn O’Mara.
Referee Jordan Cushen then showed O’Mara a straight red card as he judged that he had denied the Dons number nine a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Dons captain Adam Hunt opted to take the penalty and converted it into the right hand side of the net, sending the keeper to the left, and in the process giving the home side a 3-0 lead after just nine minutes.
The visitors, despite having to make two changes in the opening 15 minutes, managed to get a goal back when one of the substitutes Bradley Stevenson controlled the ball on the edge of the area and finished it into the left corner of the net to reduce the deficit to 3-1.
The home side, with the man advantage, were still largely dictating the game and had a chance to extend their lead following good interplay on the edge of the area which saw the ball come to Thomas-Asante on the edge of the box. The forward turned impressively before rifling a shot just over the crossbar.
Thomas-Asante was at the heart of the action again on 34 minutes as he scored his second of the game to restore the Dons three-goal lead.
The ball was crossed from the right by skipper Hunt before Thomas-Asante turned sharply inside the area and shot low into the left corner once again to make it 4-1.
A brilliant half was almost capped with a fifth goal just moments before the break as midfielder Connor Furlong whipped a ball in from the right however the Dons couldn’t turn the ball in despite a goalmouth scramble.
The first real action of the second period saw the Gills get another goal back through sub Stevenson who took the ball down inside the box and finished into the left hand corner past keeper Andrew McCorkell, who got a hand to the ball but couldn’t prevent it from going in and making the score 4-2.
The hosts capped off an excellent morning’s work with just nine minutes left as substitute Nombe was played through and finished into the left side of the net from the edge of the box to make it 5-2.
After the match Dons Director of Youth Mike Dove said: “I thought we made a real bright start today and took our chances.
“I was very impressed with our forward play and we did have other opportunities as well.
“It didn’t go very well for Gillingham as they had a player sent off and had to make a couple of changes but I said to our boys they could only deal with what was in front of them and they had to be clever with their thinking and make the most of the numerical advantage and make it count.
“We dominated early, they came back into it particularly at the start of the second half because we overplayed a bit at the back but then we had a period when we stepped up and showed some intelligent play so it was a mixed game but overall it was another great learning day.”
MK Dons (4-1-2-3): McCorkell: Kioso, Steele, Omar (Kasumu 55), Stratton: Hunt (capt): Osei-Bonsu, Tapp (Owusu 51): Furlong, Logan, Thomas-Asante (Nombe 71).
Sub not used: Wyant.
Booked: Kasumu 90+1.
Goals: Tapp 4, Thomas-Asanie 6, 34, Hunt 9 (pen), Nombe 81.
Referee: Jordan Cushen.
