Muirhead goes down a storm

It simply read: Is this Ben Muirhead's best game ever?

It was impossible to disagree.

City's flying machine was simply unstoppable as he united the lightning pace which he has always had with the consistency of crossing which has often been lacking.

On an afternoon of many highs, the sight of Muirhead in full flow and providing quality passes at the end of those bursting runs was the pinnacle.

"I hope he hasn't produced it all today," smiled Colin Todd. "We've worked on it but Ben has never produced like that on the training ground.

"But we know what we'll get from Ben. He might be a little bit inconsistent but if he continues to work at it and learn, which he is, then he's always going to be a threat."

Todd had hinted about making another change above the arrival of new boy Richard Edghill at right back. The popular view was that Danny Cadamarteri would get a first start up front in place of Andy Cooke, who had missed City's best chance in midweek.

Instead, he unleashed Muirhead. Tom Kearney was dropped from the full 16 to make way and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, that jack of all midfield trades, shifted to the middle to reunite his partnership with Steve Schumacher.

The advocates of that pairing in the City engine room will point to the four-goal salvos against Brentford and Bournemouth at the tail end of last

season. It is certainly the most attack-minded formation that Todd can field and ideal against opponents content to sit back and hit on the break.

It was a "horses for courses" selection and a bit more caution might be in order away from home. But City now have the variety of personnel to allow the manager to alter his tactics for particular matches.

But it's hard to see Muirhead being budged after a display like that.

The right winger signalled his intention with his opening burst. Having nicked the ball off Izale McLeod just over the halfway line, he purred forward before slipping between the retreating Dons striker and left back Leon Crooks and whipping a useful cross to the far post.

Keeper Matt Baker defused that danger - as he did most of the afternoon to prevent City running riot. Baker stopped so many he must have had the butcher and candlestick maker with him between the sticks.

The pre-match warnings may have centred around McLeod, who scored twice on his last visit in February. Yet it took him until the first minute of the second half to register a shot at Donovan Ricketts.

Most of the time, McLeod was reduced to a distant spectator watching the one-way traffic motoring towards Baker's goal.

City's opening blow came from the penalty spot, although even boss Danny Wilson admitted his MK Dons side were fortunate to reach that 24th-minute breakthrough still level.

Bobby Petta should have done better after he was picked out in the box by Schumacher while Cooke was a sniff away after gambling on pursuing Andrew Taylor's low angled cross.

But the Dons were undone by the slickest of build-up play. Schumacher swept a pass out to Muirhead who shuttled it straight into the path of Bridge-Wilkinson on the edge of the penalty area.

He cut it back perfectly for Cooke, whose legs were clipped just as he attempted to pull the trigger. Typical of his luck that another goal had gone begging although Ben Chorley could have no argument with the spot-kick decision.

The Dons weren't so happy with the red card which followed about two minutes later. Referee Paul Robinson took an

eternity, first to award the penalty and then to consult both his assistants before giving Chorley his marching orders.

"I don't know if the boy should have gone," said Todd. "But he was the last man and the law says that he's got to go."

Opposite number Danny Wilson felt his skipper was harshly dealt with.

"There was no deliberate attempt to stop the player having a go at goal. The referee deemed it a trip but he had long enough to assess the situation and still came out with the red card.

"But I don't think that spoiled the match because even before the penalty we had a few escapes."

There was no let-off from the spot as Dean Windass sent Baker the wrong way.

That should have been the first of several before the break as City continued to swamp their opponents. Baker saved from Petta and Windass rolled a shot against the post as the offside flag stayed down.

The flag was up, although neither of them knew it, as Baker brilliantly defied Schumacher from point-blank range and the eagle-eyed assistant also ruled out a diving header from Windass. Inevitably, the cross had come from Muirhead.

Crooks, given the run-around from the start, had moved across to cover for Chorley's departure but Dean Lewington struggled just as much to contain Muirhead's menace.

Another cross again found the flying head of Windass - and again there was Baker to brilliantly block.

Todd was growing twitchy as chances came and went. City were still vulnerable without a second goal and twice hearts were in mouths in the minutes leading up to the interval.

First Ricketts had another one of those little wobbles and let a ball slip out of his grasp. Fortunately his mistake caught Aaron Wilbraham on the hop and the striker could only prod it back to him.

But there was a bigger escape as Lewington got away from Edghill to pick out Wade Small unmarked by the penalty spot. But he snatched at the shot which skewed harmlessly wide.

It was a timely kick up the backside and Todd warned his players against complacency during the break. But there was no need to fret as the lead was doubled within seven minutes.

Again Muirhead created the goal with an acceleration past Lewington. His cross was cleverly left by Cooke and Windass was right behind him to fire into the

bottom corner.

Now it turned into a shooting gallery and Windass had another hat-trick in his sights. How he didn't get one will remain a mystery.

Windass flicked a header inches away after Crooks half-cleared a corner and nearly beat Baker with a total miskick which the keeper clung to on his line despite diving in the opposite direction.

But everyone in claret and amber wanted a piece of the action. None were keener than Cooke, who did everything right with a brilliant turn and shot which took the slightest of deflections off a defender's leg to turn it off course.

Danny Cadamarteri came on to join the fun and he, too, could have been off the mark.

So could Bridge-Wilkinson who, having brought down a Cadamarteri pass out of the sun, then flicked a shot across the goal-mouth with Cooke sliding into the far post in his eagerness to turn it home.

Somehow there were no more goals - and McLeod even had the cheek to wake up Ricketts with a last-minute effort. But the standing ovation at the final whistle appreciated a job very well done.