Nicky Maynard, Tom Hitchcock and Kabongo Tshimanga all netted hat-tricks as the Dons cruised to a 14-0 victory in their Berks and Bucks County Senior Cup opener against Didcot Town.
Sergio Aguza, who opened the scoring, bagged a brace for Keith Andrews’ side while Cristian Benavante, Giorgio Rasulo and Mark Randall, in his first appearance for seven months, all added goals of their own in an impressive and clinical display at Loop Meadow.
The Dons’ squad included a number of notable players. Samir Carruthers, who has missed the last three games due to suspension, started in central midfield ahead of striker Hitchcock, whose loan spell at Stevenage ended on Sunday.
Randall was also named on the substitutes bench - the midfielder hadn’t featured for the Dons since March due to a long-term pelvic injury.
In total there were eight first-reamers in Andrews’ group and one of them, Maynard, had the game’s first chance inside the opening minute. After a strong spell of possession from kick-off, Maynard received the ball on the edge of the box but he fired off target with a left-footed shot.
.1-0It took the Dons a further four minutes for the Dons to register their next effort on goal and with it, they took the lead. Aguza got away from his man on the half-way line before finding Hitchcock with a pass. Hitchcock then returned the ball to the Spaniard, who took a touch before drilling under keeper Leigh Bedwell.
.2-0The opening goal was nothing less than the Dons deserved for their first start and within 60 seconds they had doubled their advantage courtesy of Aguza’s ex-Real Madrid teammate Benavente, who jinked inside a Didcot defender and slotted home his first goal for the Club.
.3-0It took didn’t take Andrews’ men long to extend their lead further as, before the clock had even passed the quarter-hour mark, Rasulo found the top left-hand corner of the goal with a rasper from 25-yards.
.4-0Hitchcock then joined in on the act, capping off a clinical first 20 minutes with a fine effort from just inside the Didcot penalty area which left Bedwell with no chance.
.5-0The Dons were rampant and Maynard soon made it five after some excellent work from Carruthers down the left - the midfielder burst away from his marker and drove into the box before teeing up Maynard, who couldn’t miss from close-range.
Charlie Burns was kept relatively quiet early on but he had to be alert on 30 minutes to deny Didcot striker Graham Edney with a superb stop - the goalkeeper was at full stretch to reach and claim the header which looked destined for the net.
.7-0In the final 10 minutes of the half the Dons were able to add two more goals to their tally - first, Maynard made no mistake with a one-on-one finish before the man who set him up for his second, Hitchcock, doubled his own tally with a neat header from Rasulo’s superb lofted pass.
Andrews’ side remained unchanged for the start of the second half - that included a back four, made up of apprentices, that was maturely dealing with everything the hosts were throwing at them on their rare ventures forward.
.8-0Meanwhile, at the other end, the Dons continued to look dangerous and just seven minutes into the second period they were able to notch their eighth goal - Maynard the man who scored it to complete a hat-trick.
Maynard was withdrawn on the hour mark as one of two substations made by Andrews. He was replaced by Tshimanga while the other change saw Randall come on for his first appearance in a Dons shirt since a pelvic injury cut short his 2014/15 season three months early.
.9-0The pause for the changes didn’t halt the Dons’ charge, however, as just seconds after they were made, Aguza bagged his brace with a stunning effort from 35-yards which drew applause from all inside Loop Meadow.
.10-0The men from MK1 then moved into double figures soon after the 70-minute mark when Hitchcock sealed a treble from the penalty spot after Tshimanga, who was about to pull the trigger, had been brought down from behind by Didcot captain Luke Carnell.
.11-0Tshimanga would, though, get his goal moments later after pouncing on a mistake, rounding goalkeeper Bedwell and finding the net despite two Didcot defenders guarding on the line.
13-0.Once the young striker, who last season netted over 50 times for the Under-18s, found his opener there was no stopping him and within the space of a minute, courtesy of two neat finishes, he was able to able to tally a hat-trick.
.14-0The 14th and final goal of the night came in 84th minute and it was scored by the returning Randall, who marked his comeback from injury with a fine finish into the top corner. A fitting end to a perfect night for the Dons.
Burns; Brittain, Jackon, Hunt (Omar 73), Kioso; Rasulo (c); Aguza, Carruthers (Randall 60); Benavente; Maynard (Tshimanga 60), Hitchcock.Starting XI:
McCorkell, Hadden.Unused subs:
Aguza (5, 61), Benavente (6), Rasulo (14), Hitchcock (20, 38, 70 pen), Maynard (29, 36, 52), Tshimanga (74, 79, 80), Randall (84).Goals:
