A strong Cheltenham Town reserves team consisting of eight first team players comfortably beat MK Dons in the Central League Southern Section at the Energy Check Training Ground this afternoon.
Hat-tricks for George Lloyd and Rakish Bingham alongside a penalty from Conor Thomas earned the Robins an emphatic victory against a young Dons side.
Amongst those in the Cheltenham starting team included club skipper Johnny Mullins and centre-back partner Jordon Forster.
Fellow first-teamers Rhys Lovett, Sean Long, Cameron Pring, Thomas, Lloyd and Bingham also started – as teammates and members of the Academy watched on in the spring sunshine.
The Robins took an early lead inside three minutes when Bingham scored with a header following a cross from the left hand side.
Will Dawes then nearly added a second after 10 minutes following a similar move, but he was unable to get enough power on his attempt and the MK Dons keeper caught it comfortably.
Lloyd was then played clean through as the home side continued to press for a second, but the visiting goalkeeper stood his ground and made a good save to deny the young forward.
The 19 year-old soon made amends in the 28th minute though, as Will Dawes cleverly span away in midfield and played a delightful through ball into his path and Lloyd coolly slotted into the bottom corner to double Cheltenham’s lead.
Lloyd then added a third just before the interval, controlling well after another neat through pass, before rolling the ball into the same corner as his first following a small touch off the advancing keeper.
The Robins started the second half as they finished the first, with plenty of pressure as Bingham was denied a second from close range after being picked out by a Trialist.
Another ball into the box from the other side caused more havoc and MK Dons were penialised for handball – Thomas then stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to make it four from the penalty spot.
After a ten minute spell with little action, the lively Dawes then did well to turn his marker on the corner of the penalty box, but his curling effort dropped wide.
Bingham then netted his second goal 13 minutes into the second half, running on to a long ball and heading it past the keeper, then cutting back to slot into an empty net.
Lloyd then sealed his hat-trick in the simplest of fashions, as a Trialist headed it down at the far post for him to bundle into the net from point-blank range.
Bingham was next to complete his treble, as the impressive Dawes collected another assist by playing him through to round the keeper and tap into an empty net to round off an impressive display.
ROBINS RESERVES: Lovett (Gk), Long (Handley 80), Trialist, Forster (Richards 80), Mullins, Trialist, Pring (Chamberlain 86), Thomas, Dawes (Stanton 85), Lloyd, Bingham. Subs not used: Lapworth (Gk).