Milton Keynes Dons v Northampton Town
JOHNSTONE'S PAINT TROPHY FIRST ROUND
Tuesday September 3rd, 7.45pm
Stadiummk
MK DONS 2
Patrick Bamford 52
Dele Alli 58
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 4,299 (861 Cobblers fans)
MK Dons: Ian McLoughlin, Jon Otsemobor, Dean Lewington, Shaun Williams (sub Brendan Galloway 83), Alan Smith, Ben Reeves, Dele Alli (sub Luke Chadwick 70), Patrick Bamford, Jason Banton, Danny Green (sub George Baldock 78), Antony Kay.
Subs not used: Giorgio Rasulo, Samir Carruthers.
Cobblers: Matt Duke, Ben Tozer, Kevin Amankwaah, Lee Collins, Matt Heath, Chris Hackett (sub Danny Emerton 64), Gary Deegan (sub Ivan Toney 86), Darren Carter, Ishmel Demontagnac, Matty Harriott (sub JJ Hooper 89), Jacob Blyth.
Subs not used: Dean Snedker, Clive Platt.
Referee: Mr G Horwood
Booked:
MK Dons: Dele Alli (24), Shaun Williams (43), Patrick Bamford (90)
Cobblers: Ben Tozer (53, 1st of the season), Ivan Toney (88, 1st)
5 cautions on or before 31 December; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
MK Dons: none
Cobblers: Ishmel Demontagnac 33 (3 game ban)
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
Midfielder Matty Harriott came into the side to make his debut with Jacob Blyth also re-called. Roy O'Donovan missed the game through suspension with Clive Platt dropping to the bench.
MK Dons went close to opening the scoring on 14 minutes when Jason Banton put in a cross which was well met by Patrick Bamford but his header came back off the post. At the other end, Ishmel Demontagnac's shot from an acute angle was saved by McLoughlin.
The Cobblers were reduced to ten men on 34 minutes, Demontagnac shown a straight red card for a challenge on Dele Alli after losing possession. From the ensuing free-kick, Matt Duke pulled off a good save to deny Shaun Williams.
Jacob Blyth found himself one-on-one with the Dons goalkeeper at the start of the second half but his shot was saved by stopper McLoughlin.
Patrick Bamford gave Dons the lead on 53 minutes, the on-loan Chelsea striker getting on the end of a Banton cross to tap-in from close range.
Bamford then turned provider to set up Dele Alli who doubled Dons lead on 58 minutes with a shot into the roof of the net.
Danny Emerton came on for Chris Hackett as boss Aidy Boothroyd made his first change. Blyth showed good strength to create an opening on 76 minutes but his side-footed effort from 12-yards went wide.
A Jason Banton shot from distance was well saved by Duke before Ivan Toney replaced Gary Deegan for the final 5 minutes.
The game then faded away in the final few minutes as the Dons claimed a 2-0 victory and a place in the second round of this season's Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
MK DONS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 12
CORNERS: (5) 12
FOULS: (7) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 3
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 5
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 3
CORNERS: (0) 1
FOULS: (4) 7
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 4
The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by Opta.