MK Dons put four past Bristol Rovers to close in on automatic promotion places

Alex Gilbey scored one and set up another as MK Dons made it three League Two wins in a row with a thumping 4-0 victory against Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.

Dons captain Gilbey forced Alfie Kilgour’s eighth-minute own goal and, after Laurence Maguire made it 2-0 with seven minutes left, he added a third in the 90th minute.

There was still time for Rushian Hepburn-Murphy to add a fourth as the Dons moved within a point of the top three.

Both captains were involved when Gilbey’s drilled low cross from the left channel deflected off the shin of Rovers skipper Kilgour to open the scoring.

The Pirates then threatened to equalise seconds before half-time when Ellis Harrison met a Jack Sparkes corner a few yards out, only to head straight at goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray.

But the game was effectively over when Maguire got a faint touch to Liam Kelly’s free-kick that had been glanced on by Rovers sub Ruel Sotiriou.

Gilbey then netted the third, drilling in low from a Kelly through-ball.

And two Dons substitutes combined in the final seconds to make it four as Hepburn-Murphy swept in Jonathan Leko’s centre.