MK Dons began the 2024/25 season with a 2-1 home defeat to Bradford City at Stadium MK.
The visitors effectively took a two goal head-start as Alex Pattison and a Sam Sherring own goal gave the visitors a 2-0 lead with just five minutes on the clock.
Alex Gilbey grabbed a goal back for the hosts, but although the Dons created multiple opportunities, there was no way through for the home side as they slipped to defeat on the opening day.
The game began with a pre-match presentation marking the changing of the guard at Stadium MK.
The Dons’ opening day game came the day after it was announced that Pete Winkelman had sold the club 20 years on from founding MK Dons, with both Winkelman and the club’s incoming chairman Fahad Al Ghanim presented pitch-side before the game started.
Mike Williamson handed first league starts to seven of his summer signings, but former Dons boss Graham Alexander sprung on a surprise on his previous employers as Bradford made a rapid start.
Tyreik Wright laid the ball back to midfielder Pattison, who took one touch to made space for a shot before firing a long range shot beyond Tom McGill’s fingertips and in to give Bradford a second minute lead.
Just three minutes later, Bradford would pull further ahead. Wright’s first-time cross was intercepted by debutant defender Sherring, but the former Northampton man’s sliced clearance ended up in arcing it’s way into his own net to give the Yorkshire club a 2-0 lead with five minutes played.
MK Dons were threatening to get swept away, but the hosts managed to calm things down and with 20 on the clock, they cut the deficit. A slick pass by Callum Hendry released Gilbey, who skipped away from Brad Halliday, ran into the box and placed a low strike past Bradford’s Sam Walker.
This was the cue for the Dons to seek more, with a low deflected strike by Hendry kept out by Walker moments later.
MK Dons had their moments going forward, but Bradford still had something on the counter, although Andy Cook’s effort would miss the target, while the Dons were also lucky lost possession on the edge of their box didn’t lead to one of three Bradford players doing more than see shots blocked.
In first half stoppage time, MK Dons came very close to an equaliser, with Walker making a flying save to keep out Hendry and Gilbey have a shot blocked.
Something nearly opened up for the Dons in the early moments of the second half, with a covering defender doing just enough to put off Hendry, allowing Walker to claim the loose ball.
Bradford responded by nearly finding a way through themselves, with the ball falling for Cook, only for the striker to see his shot blocked by goalkeeper Tom McGill.
Stephen Wearne then inadvertently sent a cross away from goal when well placed, before a strike from Gilbey took a big deflection that nearly helped the ball creep into the back of the net.
An open game saw Wearne blast over when he reached the box before Jack Tucker ended up heading a Pattison cross-shot narrowly over his own bar.
MK Dons introduced Matt Dennis and the substitute would have a few opportunities, with one strike from range blocked and another deflected behind, before Wearne fired over from a cross by Aaron Nemane.
Dennis would see a shot saved by Walker, with Gilbey firing over the rebound, but after that, the Dons began to find the going harder in the final moments.
One last chance fell their way when substitute Tommy Leigh rifled over in injury time, but the Dons ran out of time to avoid slipping to an opening day reverse.
MK Dons: McGill – Sherring, Tucker, Lawrence – Nemane (Tripp 80), Kelly, Offord (Carroll 80), Tomlinson – Wearne (Leigh 70), Gilbey – Hendry (Dennis 66)
Subs not used: Harness, Lewington, Harrison
Goal: Gilbey (20)
Booked: Offord
Bradford: S. Walker – Baldwin, Byrne, Kelly – Halliday, Sarcevic (Oliver 85), Smallwood, Pattison, Wright (Odour 70) – Cook (J. Walker 70), Kavanagh (Shepherd 85)
Subs not used: Doyle, Walker, Young, Pointon
Goal: Pattison (3), Sherring (og 5)