NEWS CHANNELMK DONS 5 OLDHAM 0
A CLASSY Dons thrashed Oldham this afternoon to earn a welcome three points in their promotion quest.
Dean Bowditch's penalty gave Karl Robinson's side a narrow lead at the break and they then turned on the style in the second half to blow away their lacklustre opponents.
The three points are the first picked up in League One since January 2 and will give Dons a welcome injection of confidence leading into the business end of the season.
There were three changes from Tuesday night's defeat at Charlton and all of them were enforced.
Gary MacKenzie began his four game suspension following his needless red card at The Valley and was replaced in the centre of defence by Mathias Doumbe.
Alan Smith dropped out of the squad with an ankle knock and striker Charlie MacDonald, also struggling with an injury, was only fit enough for the bench.
This meant that Jabo Ibehre was restored to the starting line-up as the lone striker and that there was room in midfield for winger Daniel Powell.
Conditions were wet – just as they were at Boundary Park earlier in the season when Oldham took advantage of a below par Dons showing to record a 2-1 victory.
Former Don Keanu Marsh-Brown was a familiar face in the visiting line-up.
Dons started brightly with a couple of passing routines that sliced through Oldham and they were soon rewarded by finding the net after eight minutes.
Powell lashed home from inside the area but the celebrations were put on ice as referee Brendan Malone had spotted an infringement and had already blown up for a penalty.
The home bench were furious but Bowditch stroked the spot kick into the middle of the net to open the scoring anyway.
It was Powell who was looking like the biggest threat for Dons – the academy product obviously keen to impress having been given a rare start.
Dons were frustrated when a promising through-ball to Ibehre was halted by the off-side flag, and Oldham showed that they were still in the game with three quick corners which the home defence had to deal with.
The hosts were impressing with a number of good-looking short passes but they were struggling to find their way through to goal as Oldham pushed bodies back and defended resolutely.
With ten minutes left of the half there was a worrying moment when Kieran Lee was given time around the Dons penalty area and his shot stung the palms of David Martin who tipped it wide.
Oldham lost full-back Paul Black to a nasty looking injury following pressure from Powell in the closing stages of the half and Bowditch – again lively out wide – fired in a deflected effort after cutting inside which resulted in an easy catch for Latics keeper Alex Cisak.
Dons were looking comfortable but would have wanted another goal to show for their efforts going into the half-time break as the advantage remained slender.
And the daylight they were craving was found just moments after the interval.
Powell evaded the offside trap and weaved around Cisak before slotting into the empty net to deservedly get himself on the score-sheet.
It was now all Dons and Cisak was twice called upon to claw long range efforts to safety with flying saves.
Luke Chadwick was the first to try his luck with a sweetly struck drive which forced a superb stop from Cisak and Bowditch's thunderbolt required an even better aerial stop from the Oldham keeper.
At the other end, Doumbe was suddenly called into action with a vital saving tackle when Shefki Kuqi was well-placed to trouble Martin's goal.
Robinson made a double change, bringing on MacDonald and Jay O'Shea and the latter had a say in Dons' third.
The Irish winger slid the ball across the box and Powell turned majestically before finishing with aplomb into the bottom corner.
Oldham were now dead and buried but Dons were in an unforgiving mood and they swiftly extended their lead.
A forward thinking Doumbe found room on the right flank and bent a shot into the far top corner with a delightful left-foot curler.
Confidence now seeped through the team and a cricket score was on the cards as white shirts continued to pile forward in a ruthless looking fashion.
MacDonald forced a parried save from Cisak and then nearly profited when the keeper completely missed the ball when rushing out – Oldham just managing to hack the ball away as the striker searched for a tap in.
But the fifth duly arrived after James Tavernier's cross found Stephen Gleeson, who used the ample space he had been given to chest down and fire home at the far post.
An increasingly desperate looking Oldham defence seemed to be panicking whenever Dons came forward, and O'Shea saw a shot bounce off the crossbar after MacDonald had slid him in.
It was a sublime second half display which was packed with quality and the five goal margin is the biggest Dons have racked up this season.
Dons: Martin, Tavernier, Lewington (Chicksen 70), Doumbe, Gleeson, Potter, Bowditch (O'Shea 63), Williams, Powell, Ibehre, Chadwick (MacDonald 63). Unused subs: McLoughlin, Flanagan.
Goals: Bowditch pen 9, Powell 47, 66 Doumbe 69 Gleeson 78
Oldham: Cisak, M'Voto, Black (Diamond 41), Morais, Simpson, Adeyemi (Smith 67), Tarkowski, Taylor, Lee, Marsh-Brown (Parker 54), Kuqi. Unused subs: Bouzanis, Winchester.
Booked: Simpson, Diamond.
Att: 7817
