Gillingham beat Milton Keynes Dons 5-0 in a one-sided contest that was effectively settled before the interval.
The hosts took control early. Alex Gilbey opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and although Daniel Crowley and G. Jones offered some encouragement for the visitors with activity around the half-hour mark, Marvin Ekpiteta doubled the advantage on 33 minutes to put Gillingham firmly in command. A substitution near the end of the first half, which brought on Ronan Chapman and triggered further reshuffling, seemed to unsettle MK Dons' shape. Scott Hogan struck almost immediately after the restart to make it three, removing any lingering doubt about the outcome.
The second half became a procession. Sam Vokes added a fourth on 56 minutes and Aaron Rowe converted on the hour. MK Dons introduced several players in search of a response, among them Ben Wiles, Travis Akomeah, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans and Lenni Rae Cirino, but the changes produced little of substance against a home side that defended its lead without difficulty.
Cirino and Aaron Nemane both saw late action for the visitors, as did Jonathan Leko, though none could manufacture a goal. Nelson Khumbeni and Michael Luxton also featured from the bench as both managers rotated freely through the closing stages.
Gillingham were the better side at every stage. MK Dons offered nothing to suggest they were equipped to compete at this level on the night.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
