Michael Duff’s Cheltenham Town side delivered a late Christmas present with a fantastic Boxing Day win over high-flying MK Dons at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium.
The Robins recorded their first ever victory over the Dons thanks to two first half headers from Nigel Atangana and Tyrone Barnett, and a superbly worked third from Chris Clements late in the second half.
Chuks Aneke had provided the Dons with a goal midway through the first half, but it didn’t stop the Robins making it six straight home wins in all competitions.
Atangana almost found himself on the scoresheet from as early as the fourth minute when his hooked effort on goal from a Clements corner was saved by Lee Nicholls.
Ten minutes later though the Frenchman did find the net. Barnett’s flicked header set Alex Addai clear on the right, and his superb stood up cross was nodded magnificently into the bottom corner by Atangana, out of the reach of Nicholls.
The scores were level midway through the first half as Aneke headed the Dons level. It looked as though there had been a foul on a Cheltenham man in the buildup, but the goal stood and levelled the affair.
Addai’s pace was causing the opposition no end of troubles. He set Sam Jones who almost got through as Duff’s side looked to respond, and on the half hour mark he fired just wide after bursting through.
The Robins would re-take the lead by scoring at the perfect time just before the interval.
Another eye-catching move saw Chris Hussey and Jones combine for the former to cross superbly for Barnett, whose header matched Atangana’s in its quality and end result.
Immediately at the start of the second half the Dons set about finding another leveller, with Scott Flinders being forced into a good save from Aneke’s strike.
Any early second half storm was comfortably dealt with, and it was in fact the Robins who looked closest yet to finding the next goal with Jones being denied with a header, Hussey hammering just wide and an Atangana shot being blocked.
The Dons struggled to create opportunities in their search for a goal. A flowing move as the clock ticked into the final five minutes saw them presented with a great opening, though substitute Ryan Watson spurned a big chance.
They would be punished just a couple of minutes later when Clements made it three. He linked up terrifically with Addai, whose ball round the corner allowed Clements to fire expertly into the corner to cap a notable three points.
ROBINS: Flinders, Forster, Tozer, Boyle, Thomas, Hussey, Clements, Atangana, Jones (Varney 82), Addai (Dawson 88), Barnett
Subs not used: Lovett, Mullins, Mooney, Alcock, Brennan
MK DONS: Nicholls, Williams, Houghton, Cargill, McGrandles, Lewington, Cisse (Watson 60), Gilbey, D’Ath (Pawlett 60), Agard (Simpson 72), Aneke
Subs not used: Moore, Hancox, Kasumu, Healey
REFEREE: Dean Whitestone
ATTENDANCE: 3,266 (446 MK Dons)