MK Dons Under-18s continued their 100% start to the season with a 4-0 win over Peterborough United in the Youth Alliance League at Woughton-on-the-Green.
The hosts made two changes from the side that won 4-3 away at Southend United the previous weekend, with Joe Evans and Jenson Wright coming into the starting XI for Liam Sole and Charlie Pattison.
A first-half finish from Jay Bird, followed by second-half goals for two substitutes Pattison and Sole, and a late individual effort from Dylan Asonganyi, helped the hosts to a comfortable win over Posh.
The Dons had the better of the first half an hour and took the lead on 33 minutes when Matthew Sorinola’s ball in from the left hand side found Asonganyi whose shot was well smothered by the keeper from close range.
The rebound came to Bird who had an easy finish from a few yards out which he converted to put the Dons ahead.
Three minutes later, Edu Rubio’s side had a goal disallowed for offside as Bird showed good feet to beat his man inside the box before unselfishly squaring to David Kasumu who was adjudged offside as he tucked the ball home.
The Dons were fortunate to go into the second half ahead as the side from Cambridgeshire missed a gilt-edged chance just before the break but on the balance of play the hosts deserved the advantage.
Rubio’s team continued to dominate after the restart, with Asonganyi having two efforts well blocked by the keeper and right-back Delsin Ackom blasting over from 10-yards out.
The second goal the Dons craved came on 64 minutes when sub Pattison was the quickest to react after the increasingly busy Posh keeper had saved another shot, this time from Sole.
The hosts added some gloss to the scoreline on 84 minutes as sub Sole scored with a stunning effort from 25-yards out.
Another great individual strike from Asonganyi four minutes later made it 4-0, with the number nine hitting a fierce effort from the edge of the box which went in off the post to secure a third successive win of the campaign for the Dons.
Speaking after the match, Rubio said: “We played a very good game. The goals were well taken and in the second half we really punished Peterborough when we had the chances.
“We had a lot of good options going forward so we know that if we are good at our defensive duties we should win games because we have goals in the squad - the boys remained solid at the back today and I felt we deserved our clean sheet.”
He continued: “The target going forward is improving the players on a daily basis, both through the under-18s and under-23s.
“We may have won three games out of three but we have to remember we are not unbeatable. There is lots still to improve on so we can achieve the real target of getting players through to the first team.”
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Jones; Ackom (Hourican-Harvey 74), Tapp (c), Hope, Sorinola; Wright (Pattison 60), Kasumu; Evans (Sole 46), Bird (Martin 78), Bell; Asonganyi.
Booked: Bell, Kasumu.
Goals: Bird 33, Pattison 65, Sole 84, Asonganyi 88.
