Milton Keynes Dons

Aaron Collins needed less than two minutes to get going, and by the 76th minute he had four. MK Dons beat Doncaster 6-1 in front of 7,732 at Stadium MK, and finished a week of three league games with three wins and 11 goals.

The first came inside two minutes. Marvin Ekpiteta found Collins, and his left-footed shot from outside the box went into the bottom left corner. It was his tenth league goal of the season. On 21 minutes Ryan Wintle intercepted and picked him out in the middle of the box and he finished the other way, right-footed into the bottom right corner.

MK Dons could have had more before the break. Tommy Simkin saved from Sam Nombe, Dan Crowley and Collins again, and Alex Gilbey had three efforts blocked. Doncaster's answer was mostly long-range shooting from George Broadbent and Jordan Thomas, neither of whom troubled Will Dennis.

Rovers get a foothold

Grant McCann's side came out better after half-time. Brandon Hanlan and Alfie May forced saves from Dennis, McCann sent on Bayley McCann and Will Keane on the hour, and Keane headed just over almost immediately. On 64 minutes Hanlan set up Thomas, who finished low into the bottom left corner, and at 2-1 Doncaster had real hope.

It lasted five minutes.

Twenty minutes, four goals

Jack Sanders hit a long pass, Collins cut inside on the right of the box, and his left-footed shot went into the bottom right corner for his hat-trick. Paterson hit the bar with a header on the break three minutes later, and on 76 minutes Ben Wiles played Collins through for his fourth, his 16th goal of the season. He went off to a standing ovation.

From there it turned into a rout. On 81 minutes Simkin denied Charlie Goode and Paterson put away the rebound for the fifth. Eight minutes later he hit the post from close range from another dead ball, and Ekpiteta turned the sixth in from a few yards. It was his second contribution of the day after setting up the opener.

MK Dons had 25 shots to Doncaster's 12, and 11 on target to three, though Doncaster had more of the ball. Six of Paul Warne's first 12 league games had ended level. After a week like this, they look like a side that can climb the table. Doncaster have now lost twice in four days and conceded nine. McCann will want to know where the side that beat Sheffield Wednesday a week ago went.

"If you kept me on, I'd have scored five"

Warne knew what he had just watched.

Sixteen goals before November is not really the sort of thing that happens often in professional ranks.

Paul Warne, MK Dons head coach (PA)

The first goal was good, the third goal was the biggest goal if that makes sense as it put the ease in the stadium, like we were back in control. And then he got four and he said to me that if you kept me on, I'd have scored five.

Paul Warne

Collins himself admitted the hat-trick goal was a relief for everyone.

It was a good feeling, because it was my hat-trick but I looked at my team-mates and there was a sigh of relief.

Aaron Collins, MK Dons striker (MK Citizen)

On his 250th game in charge, McCann took it all on himself.

It's not good enough from me. It's on me, this result, and any sort of blame is on me. I put that team on the pitch today and we were 1-0 down within two or three minutes.

Grant McCann, Doncaster Rovers manager (PA)