Two goals and six substitutions should, at 30 seconds a go, have meant a minimum of four added minutes at Stadiummk. Perhaps the board showed two for official pity’s sake. Colchester United were five goals and a man down. Even as the PA was conveying the message Lee Hodson made it 6-0 to Milton Keynes Dons and the final whistle sounded within seconds of the restart. MK Dons were not complaining. They stayed fourth in League One with two games in hand on the three above. The U’s fell to 22nd.
This was not quite Brazil against Germany but Colchester – average age 22 – looked callow as students against the Dons. Their strong defender and captain, Magnus Okuonghae, is out for ages with a ruptured achilles tendon, though thanks to two dismissals he had played only nine league games anyway. Will Packwood, on debut and loan from Birmingham, matched him at least in the red card. Their manager, Tony Humes, maybe recognising it as a bad day in the classroom, said: “Hopefully we’ll learn from this. It’s the first time we’ve not stood up to what’s come at us.”
What came at them seemed a force of nature. Karl Robinson, the MK Dons manager, has talked keenly of “the Dutch ethos that the master of the ball becomes the master of the game”. Everyone showed comfort in possession and the confidence to be brave, from Jordan Spence at right-back, through the captain, Darren Potter, to Daniel Powell wide left. David Martin in goal might have been counted in the crowd.
When Dele Alli made room outside the penalty area to put MK Dons ahead in the 11th minute Sam Walker in goal railed at the lack of challenge; he had just kept out Kyle McFadzean’s header at a corner with a fine, low save. Alli, home-produced, is an England Under-18 midfielder. It was his eighth league goal of the season. The club contribute more to international age-group teams than almost anyone outside the big few.
By half-time Benik Afobe, 21 and on loan from Arsenal, had drawn level with two goals set up by Carl Baker from the right. By the hour Afobe had his hat-trick (18 in all competitions) and it was he who was brought down by Packwood for the red card and MK Dons’ fifth from Ben Reeves’ penalty. They had enjoyed twice the possession of Colchester, who enjoyed nothing, though they were only two goals worse than Manchester United in the League Cup at the same venue in August.
Robinson’s delight was unconfined. “We’ve had 10 clean sheets and 50 goals before December,” he said, measuring in all competitions. His squad is small but, he said, “the group believe in each other. I thought the players were sensational today, every single one of them. Benik will get the headlines but Dele’s goal reminded me of Steven Gerrard’s against West Ham in the FA Cup” in the 2006 final. It would. Robinson is a Scouser with a passion. He never made it as a league striker but at 29 became the youngest holder of the Uefa Pro Licence and youngest League manager when he started at MK Dons in May 2010. The song “Don’t Put Your Son In The Dugout, Mrs Robinson” never stood a chance.
He thought Will Grigg, a substitute on Saturday, was man of the match in Tuesday’s draw with Rochdale but decides and tells players two games in advance when they will be playing. On Tuesday they are at Sheffield United, the first of four games running against top-seven teams that will challenge their eight-match unbeaten league run. He said he would love Bramall Lane crowds (average 19,762). MK Dons’ conception may not have been immaculate but their handsome football deserves more than 7,646 in a stadium holding 30,500. This was their record win, albeit in only 11 seasons. Maybe rugby’s World Cup will fill the place.
