The match got off to a slow start, the Dons doing most of the attacking in the opening stages.
It was 9 minutes in before the Rovers broke their way into the Dons box, when McIndoe played Thornton in, it looked as if he was brought to the floor but the referee waved play on. At the Rovers end, McLeod had a good shot blocked twice before Edds blasted an effort well over the bar.
The breakthrough finally came on 13 minutes when the Rovers won a corner on their left. Thornton hit an in swinging cross into the edge of the 6 yard box where FENTON comfortably headed it in making it 0-1 to The Rovers.
MK Dons tried to hit back but the Rovers defence were strong and on 23 minutes, the Rovers went 0-2 ahead whith a corner in from the right from Thornton, dropping it into the middle again where STEVE ROBERTS brought it down with his back to goal, swivelled and hit it low into the corner of the net for his first goal for the club. The Rovers were now in overall command as the Dons attacks carried little venom.
With half an hour gone good work by Heffernan gave Forte a shooting chance from the edge of the box but he put it tamely into Baker's hands. Going straight down to the Rovers end, Smith shot over from 25 yardsand minutes later, Lewington brought a save out of Budtz.
On 37 minutes, Foster misjudged the bounce of the ball leaving McLeod to run through on goal. Budtz came out to close him down, spread himself well, the ball hitting his chest as McLeod tried to fire past him.
A succession of corners to the Dons came to nought but they continued to press to the break. McLeod fired straight at Budtz, who easily caught it, Smith shot wide with a free kick from 25 yards and Edds shot over from outside the box. The Rovers, looking reasonably comfortable, went in at the break with a two goal lead.
Sam Oji replaced Steve Roberts at the start of the second half for the Rovers, Roberts having taken a knock on the head in the first half. It hadn't been a dirty game but Mr D'Urso decided, 30 seconds into the second half, to show that he hadn't left his cards at home by booking McDaid for apparent dissent and two minutes later brandishing his yellow card at Oji, only on the pitch for 4 minutes, for a 50-50 challenge on McLeod.
On 47 minutes, following a corner on the Dons left, McDaid cleared off the line at the far post from Wilbraham. It was mainly the Dons on the attack , with Mitchell heading a free kick into Budtz's hands, who then tipped over from McLeod and then Wilbraham firing wide from 20 yards.
As the hour mark came up, the Rovers forced a couple of corners without any tangible result. Both sides were making changes by introducing substitutes but the Dons continued to pile on the pressure. McLeod couldn't quite get on the end of a shot cum cross from Smith and Kamara shot wide from 30 yards following a corner.
On 73 minutes, a quickly taken corner on the Dons left caught the Rovers cold. SMITH chipped into the goalmouth, Wilbraham appeared to unsight Budtz, who watched the ball trickle past him into the net. Back came the Dons with Budtz blocking a shot from Kamara with his legs. The home team had a couple of corners and pressed hard but the Rovers held out and in a rare foray into the home half, HEFFERNAN latched on to a poor back pass by Morgan and slid the ball past Baker for a third goal after 85 minutes. Two minutes later, under pressure from WILBRAHAM, Oji left a header back to Budtz rather short of the mark enabling the Dons player to get the ball and slide it past the keeper before being clattered.
The Dons kept the pressure on to the end, with the referee refusing two shouts for penalties from McLeod, who was eventually cautioned for his comments to Mr D'Urso. Although three minutes of added-on time was shown by the fourth official, the referee played five minutes but the Rovers defence held out. The whistle went to bring to a close a terrific game, with the Rovers, who had been under the cosh all the second half, running out winners by 3 goals to 2.