Town hit the top of League One for the first time since last year’s Gamechanger 20 takeover after goals from Wes Burns, Marcus Harness and Conor Chaplin saw them to a comfortable 3-0 victory over the MK Dons at Portman Road. Burns gave the Blues the lead with his first goal of the season in the fifth minute, Harness made it 2-0 with his second in two league games on 28 and Chaplin hit the third, his first of the campaign, on the hour with the Blues dominant throughout and having chances to increase the margin of victory.
Town boss Kieran McKenna reverted to the XI which started the opening day game against Bolton, making 10 changes from Tuesday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Colchester.
Christian Walton was in goal with Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden, who missed last week’s 2-1 win at Forest Green Rovers due to illness but was the only survivor from the midweek Colchester tie, and George Edmundson the back three.
Cameron Burgess dropped to the bench having started at the New Lawn for Woolfenden and against the U’s, while there was no place in the 18 for new signing Richard Keogh.
Burns and Leif Davis were the wing-backs with skipper Sam Morsy and Lee Evans in midfield. Harness and Chaplin were behind lone out-and-out striker Freddie Ladapo.
For the MK Dons, head coach Liam Manning, a former Town youngster and academy coach celebrating a year in charge at Stadium MK, started former Blues loanee Louie Barry, while skipper Dean Lewington played his 771st league game, taking him into English football's top 10 all-time appearance-makers.
In sweltering conditions, the Blues were the first to threaten in the second minute, Ladapo dispossessing Daniel Oyegoke on the left midway inside the visitors’ half before taking the ball into the area and hitting a low shot which keeper Jamie Cumming saved down to his right.
A minute later, a cross from the left fell to Chaplin inside the area and the forward claimed he’d been fouled as the ball was taken away from him. Referee Carl Brook wasn’t interested and the loose ball failed to fall for Ladapo.
But Town fans only had to wait another minute for a goal. Donacien broke away on the right into the area round the outside of Lewington and cut back to Burns, who swept his first of the season across Cumming, just inside the post and into the net.
There was a scare for the Blues in the ninth minute when a loose ball fell to Conor Grant in space on the right of the box following a free-kick just outside the area. The former Rochdale man hit a well-struck shot which deflected over.
From the corner, Walton punched up in the air under pressure and the ball bounced around dangerously for a few seconds before on-loan Norwich forward Matt Dennis, making his first league start, inadvertently headed it behind.
MK should have been level in the 12th minute when they carved out a glorious chance. Grant and Barry played a one-two down their left before the Irish midfielder sent a cross into the box for Dennis, who headed over from eight yards when it looked easier to hit the target.
It was a fortunate escape for the Blues who regained their composure in the following minutes, a Ladapo effort on the break winning a corner which keeper Cumming turned over from under his bar. In the aftermath of the subsequent flag-kick, Davis crossed back in from the left and Edmundson nodded wide at the far post.
On 20 Morsy struck an effort from distance which flew wide of Cumming’s left post but with the keeper not showing any interest, then a minute later Harness hit Chaplin with a shot on the turn from the edge of the box.
The teams made their way to the sidelines for the game’s first drinks break in the 24th minute with the temperature at Portman Road 30 degrees.
Soon after the restart, Chaplin found Burns in space on the right and the Wales international sent in a cross to Morsy, but the skipper’s effort was deflected wide off a defender.
But Town’s second goal wasn’t too long in coming. Burns was played the ball by Chaplin midway inside the Dons’ half and brought it forward before striking a powerful low shot which Cumming couldn’t hold onto down to his right.
Harness followed it up and forced it over the line as Oyegoke clattered into the back of him, the former Pompey man’s second goal for the Blues, his first at Portman Road and his second in two league games. Had the ball not crossed the line, Town would have had a decent shout for a penalty.
Having earned themselves a two-goal lead, the Blues were in complete control, continuing to look for openings and not allowing the MK backline any time on the ball, as had been the case all afternoon.
On 32 Chaplin sent a 20-yard shot wide of Cumming’s goal to his right, then two minutes later the keeper did well to save Morsy’s effort from distance to his left.
As the half entered its final 10 minutes, Woolfenden was caught in possession not far inside the Town half by Dennis, who took the ball into the area with Blues defenders retreating. Eventually, the ball was played to Barry on the left of the box with the on-loan Aston Villa man offside, but it was a second opportunity the Dons might have made more of.
Morsy hit a shot straight at Cumming in the 38th minute with the Blues still well on top and pushing for their third goal as the half-time whistle sounded.
Town were good for their 2-0 lead at the break having been on top from virtually start to finish, controlling the game and having 66 per cent possession.
Burns took his goal with the confidence he showed throughout last season, while Harness was alert to the situation to get to the rebound first for the second.
The Blues had had other mainly half-chances with Morsy hitting a number of efforts, but MK had had a couple of opportunities with Town guilty of being casual in possession on a few occasions in their own half, but fortunately without having been made to pay for doing so.
The visitors swapped Grant for Henry Lawrence at the break as they switched three at the back.
Two minutes after the restart, Chaplin stood up a cross from the left to the back of the box but with everyone in the middle having attacked the near post.
A minute later, Harness sent in a low ball to the near post and Ladapo poked a sharp effort wide having got in front of his marker.
Edmundson shot high and wide in the 56th minute after joining in the attack following a long spell of Town possession. Three minutes later, Ethan Robson was booked for pulling back Morsy on halfway.
And from the free-kick the Blues made it 3-0. The ball was passed to Harness, who played a clever ball into the path of Davis down the left, the wing-back sending over a low cross but just too far in front of his team-mates.
However, the ball was picked up on the right by Burns, who fed Donacien, who was breaking at pace and the defender chopped his way inside his man before cutting back to Chaplin, who turned his first goal of the season across Cumming and into the net.
MK Dons, who were showing no signs of getting back into the game, made two changes in the 67th minute, replacing Barry and Oyegoke with Dan Kemp and Zak Jules, who headed wide from a free-kick within seconds of being introduced.
Following the second half’s drinks break, the Blues made a quadruple change in the 71st minute with Kyle Edwards, Sone Aluko, Tyreece John-Jules and Kayden Jackson taking over from Burns, Chaplin, Harness and Ladapo.
Walton had had a very quiet second half, even getting involved in the passing at one stage after coming up to halfway for a Town corner as had at every opposition flag-kick, but on 74 the keeper was forced into action diving at Dennis’s feet after Woolfenden had again been too casual.
But Town remained comfortably on top and looking for their fourth goal. On 77, Edwards was found on the right of the box with plenty of options in the middle but hit a defender.
Aluko brought the ball forward into the area on the left in the 79th minute before hitting a shot which Cumming bundled behind. From the resultant short corner, the ball was played to Morsy, who hit a low strike only just wide. Moments later, Town swapped Davis for Greg Leigh, the summer signing from Leeds receiving a warm ovation from his new fans as he left the field.
After MK had replaced Dennis with Darragh Burns, Leigh crossed from the left for Edwards breaking in at the far post but the former West Brom man could only send the ball up in the air. Visitors sub Jules was injured while preventing Edwards from having a clear effort but after treatment was OK to carry on.
Moments before the whistle, deep in five minutes of injury time, Edwards forced Cumming into another save with a shot from the edge of the box with Aluko just unable to get onto the rebound.
The win sees the Blues climb to the top of the table for the first time under manager McKenna, ahead of Sheffield Wednesday on goal difference with seven points from nine in their opening three League One games. The last time Town topped the division was in October 2020.
The Blues' victory over MK was never really in doubt from the moment Burns opened the scoring in the fifth minute, settling any nerves and the second from Harness all but sealed it.
Unlike at Forest Green last week, there was no second half wobble from Town and Chaplin’s third goal made the scoreline a more accurate reflection of Town’s dominance over the course of the afternoon.
An excellent result and performance from the Blues, who had recorded four draws in their last four games against MK, ahead of very winnable away games at Burton on Tuesday and Shrewsbury next Saturday.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, W Burns (Edwards 71), Davis, Evans, Morsy (c), Chaplin (Aluko 71), Harness (John-Jules 71), Ladapo (Jackson 71). Unused: Hladky, Burgess, Leigh.
MK Dons: Cumming, Lewington (c), Tucker, O'Hora, Smith, Robson, Oyegoke, Johnson, Grant (Lawrence 46), Barry, Dennis. Unused: Ravizzoli, D Burns, Ilunga, Devoy. Referee: Carl Brook (Sussex). Att: 23,045 (MK Dons: 532).