MK Dons regained their four-point lead at the top of League 2 with a workmanlike performance against struggling Grimsby at stadiummk.

Aaron Wilbraham gave Paul Ince's team the perfect start with goal 22 seconds from the kick-off before Mark Wright fired in the second four minutes before half-time.

And though Colin Cameron missed the chance to make it three from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time, the Dons relatively coasted to victory in the second half.

While never producing the swaggering football stadiummk has come to expect this season, the Dons showed flashes of brilliance that were too much for the Mariners, who have now six of their last seven league games.

It was a Dons team showing the effects of an exhausting shift at Wycombe on Saturday, injected with the fresh legs of the impressive Jemal Johnson and the added steel of the returning Alan Navarro.

If anyone had earned the right to be a little weary after Saturday's nine-man Alamo, it was Wilbraham. Praised in Ince's programme notes for his "phenomenal" work-rate at Adams Park, the striker could have been forgiven for easing himself into this one, but he showed no signs of fatigue as he blew Grimsby's gameplan apart before many had taken their seats.

Aaron Wilbraham heads the Dons onto the attack.

Mariners winger Ciaran Toner gave the ball away on the left touchline and before full-back Tom Newey could clear, Leon Knight was onto it.

Knight made space to cross from the corner flag, Wilbraham rose completely unmarked and headed past Phil Barnes from seven yards.

Easy as that, Wilbraham's third of the season and any chance to Grimsby sitting back wiped out before anyone had got their boots dirty.

Johnson, brought in for the suspended Lloyd Dyer, was eager to impress down the left and gave loan defender Shaleum Logan a real hard time on his final Mariners appearance.

The American-born forward won a free-kick in a good position on the left and when Dean Lewington swung his delivery to the far post, Barnes had to dive low to push away a header from stand-in captain Sean O'Hanlon.

Grimsby boss Alan Buckley changed to 4-4-2 with just 25 minutes on the clock and to say midfielder Jamie Clarke was unimpressed with the manager's decision to hook him was an understatement.

Neither side were doing much to suggest the change formation would transform the game into an end-to-end thriller as the Dons enjoyed the territorial advantage but lacked the final ball to make it pay.

Mark Wright scores the Dons' second against Grimsby.

Frustrated though they might have been, Willy Gueret's only issue in the Dons goal was keeping warm as Grimsby offered very little by way of first-half attacking play.

But with another dose of quality, the Dons doubled the lead with a beautifully crafted second.

Navarro snapped into a characteristic challenge in midfield and, rolling the tackle like an evasice rugby league forward, found himself with space to move into.

He fed Wilbraham just inside him who looked certain to shoot, but he intelligently squared across the box to the unmarked Wright, who side-footed his first-time shot inside the far post.

It looked enough to settle it in truth but Cameron should have made sure minutes later, when his own corner was never properly cleared and Knight's close-range effort was blocked by Newey's hand.

With suspended regular taker Keith Andrews sat kicking his heels in the stands, Cameron took on the duties but saw his shot clip the outside of the right-hand post.

Three-nil at the break would have been cigar time for the home team but at two they still needed to be on their mettle after the break.

Grimsby proved that as they came out much improved in the second period and produced much of the second half's more productive passing.

Mariners substitute Nick Hegarty had the ball in the net on 53 minutes, thumping into the top corner when Ryan Bennett's long throw was never properly cleared, but his effort was ruled out for a push on the Drissa Diallo.

Tom Newey handles Leon Knight's shot to concede a penalty.

Johnson burst into life again shortly afterwards as he accelerated past a flat-footed Logan, the Manchester City loanee lucky to escape with a booking after cutting the Dons speedster down on the edge of the box.

And Johnson was at it again moments later as he shimmied round the full-back down the left flank and rifled across goal, substitute Kevin Gallen and the arriving Wright unable to convert in the centre.

Wilbraham twice embarrassed Hegarty on the right touchline with touches of brilliance, the former seeing the Grimsby man booked for a desperate foul having been left for dead in the corner.

Wilbraham's night was capped with three minutes to go, leaving the field to a tremendous ovation from the home support as Drewe Broughton came on to replace him.

The game was safe, it had been for some time, but Gueret was in no mood to leave it to chance late on.

Having cleaned up the few catches and clearances he had been asked to make in the regulation 90, the Frenchman was as alert as ever in injury time as he flew out at the feet of Andy Taylor to deny the substitute a consolation.

Back to winning ways going into a break for cup competitions, the Dons have cemented themselves as the leading light in League 2 and they're going to take some catching.

MK Dons (4-4-2): Gueret, Diallo, O'Hanlon, Swailes, Lewington, Wright, Navarro, Cameron, Johnson (Smart 77), Wilbraham (Broughton 87), Knight (Gallen 54).

Subs not used: Edds, Abbey.

Goals: Wilbraham 1, Wright 41.

Grimsby Town (4-5-1): Barnes, Logan, Whittle, Bennett, Newey, Till (Taylor 61), Hunt (Jarman 25), Clarke, Boshell, Toner (Hegarty 46), Butler.

Subs not used: Montgomery, Jones.

Booked: Hergarty, Whittle

Attendance 6,797

Referee: Steve Bratt (West Midlands)