Reality Check at the Mem as MK Dons Punish Flat Rovers

There are bad days at the office, and then there’s this. Bristol Rovers were well below their best as they were comfortably beaten 4-0 by a slick MK Dons side at the Mem — a result that brought the Gas crashing back down to earth after some promising recent form.

It started horribly and never really improved. Just eight minutes in, skipper Alfie Kilgour saw Alex Gilbey’s low cross deflect off his shin and into the net — the kind of goal that sums up an afternoon when nothing seems to go right.

Rovers tried to respond, with Ellis Harrison going close from a Jack Sparkes corner just before half-time, but it was one of those days where the ball simply refused to drop.

Darrell Clarke made changes after the break, throwing on Ruel Sotiriou to try and change the tempo, but the Dons were ruthless. Laurence Maguire’s glancing touch from a free-kick made it 2-0, and from there it was damage limitation.

Captain Alex Gilbey, who ran the show from midfield, added a third with a low finish before Rushian Hepburn-Murphy wrapped things up late on.

For the Gas, this was a harsh reminder that there’s no room for half-measures in League Two. Rovers have looked much improved in recent weeks, but this was a flat, disjointed display that Clarke and his men will want to put behind them quickly.

The fans stuck with the side till the end, but you could feel the frustration. The Mem was quiet, the spark was missing, and Rovers will know they owe the supporters a response next weekend.

Sometimes you just have to take your medicine, learn from it, and move on. The Gas will — they always do.

UTG.