MK Dons march on with win over out-of-form Cheltenham

MK Dons continued their fine run of form with a 3-2 win at Cheltenham.

Their goals came from Curtis Nelson, Callum Paterson and Marvin Ekpiteta, with Jake Bickerstaff and Isaac Hutchinson responding for the home side.

Paul Warne’s side had won three and drawn one of their previous four and they made a confident start against a team on a run of four successive defeats in all competitions.

Joe Day spooned a low drive from Ben Wiles away in the second minute and Aaron Collins was denied by Day after racing through on goal.

The first goal arrived in the 32nd minute when Liam Kelly’s cross was headed over the line from close range by Nelson.

A poor backpass from Jonathan Tomkinson was seized on by Paterson in the 38th minute and he rolled a low shot past Day to make it 2-0.

Bickerstaff fired a shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner in first-half stoppage time to halve the deficit.

But the visitors pulled further clear in the 64th minute when Kelly’s corner caused problems and after Rushian Hepburn-Murphy’s effort was parried, Ekpiteta lashed home.

Hutchinson made it interesting with an 87th-minute strike on his return on loan from Bristol Rovers, but Warne’s side had done enough.