Notts County's unbeaten start to the campaign came to an abrupt end of Friday evening at promotion favourites MK Dons, with the Magpies falling to a 3-0 defeat.
Two goals from two set-pieces, one in either half, were Notts' downfall. Five minutes before the break Dons skipper Keith Andrews headed the home side in front and that was followed up by Danny Swailes' header with twenty minutes to go and Aaron Wilbraham put the gloss on the victory for the home side with five minutes to go.
Despite amazing comebacks on a number of occasions this season, this one was just too far out of Notts' reach.
Notts retained the 4-4-2 formation opted in the last two League outings, with Neil MacKenzie missing out and on the bench as Jay Smith slotted into the centre of midfield, Andy Parkinson to the right wing and Lawrie Dudfield up front alongside last season's top scorer Jason Lee, back from suspension.
Notts, in their all-blue away strip, kicked the game off on a warm summer evening at the new home of the MK Dons, but it was the home side who started proceedings with the early pressure and it was only a fine challenge by Adam Tann sliding in on Leon Knight which denied the frontman a clear run on goal.
On ten minutes Dudfield almost made the most of a defensive slip-up at the back by the Dons, but his cross towards Lee at the back post was cut out by Diallo. Tann made a block to take the power out of a Knight shot a minute later, which was straight at Pilkington.
Sterling cut in from the right on twelve minutes and almost broke the deadlock with a powerful left-foot drive, but his effort was just wide of Pilkington's right-hand post.
Dons goalkeeper Gueret almost dropped a real clanger on thirteen minutes to hand Notts the lead after he handled the ball outside his area, but he escaped any real sort of punishment with just a yellow card and from the eventual free-kick Mayo's effort hit the wall and then Smith curled just wide.
At the other end in an exciting opening period a long throw by Sterling into the box caused Notts problems, but fortunately Leon Knight could not find his bearings and he headed wide while Keith Andrews, impressive in the early stages of the season with goals from midfield for the Dons, drove an effort wide.
Notts' first effort on target came on twenty-two minutes, with Lee winning a header at the far post but he could only direct his header straight at Gueret in the Dons goal.
Neither outfit had really been able to stamp their authority on the game in the opening period, but the longer the half progressed Notts were more and more becoming the better side however five minutes before the interval a ball straight through the middle of the Notts defence found Dyer clear on goal, but his left-foot effort was superbly saved by Pilkington in the Notts goal.
However four minutes before the break and from the resulting corner from Pilkington's save a swinging ball into the box was met by the head of Keith Andrews unmarked in the six-yard box who powered a header towards goal and into the net.
Dyer almost doubled the advantage for the home side just before the break, but after mazy run from the left he fired just wide with the Magpies unfortunate to go in 1-0 at the interval.
Half-Time: MK Dons 1-0 Notts County
The only change at the break saw Jamal Johnson introduced for O'Hanlon for the Dons, but it was a heated exchange between both sets of players which was the main talking point a few minutes into the second period but there were no players booked as a result after a lengthy stoppage in play.
A number of stoppages for injuries affected the rhythm of the play early in the second period, and on the hour Notts made a change with Weir-Daley brought on for Parkinson in a straight swap on the right wing.
The first opportunity of the second period came on 62 minutes as Knight's snap-shot on the turn from a tight angle inside the right-hand side of the penalty seemed destined to arrow its way into the net Pilkington got across to tip the ball behind for a home corner.
Notts' first opportunity of the half came a few minutes later as Lee found room on the edge of the box to fire in a left-foot drive, but Gueret got down to his effort well to make a comfortable save.
Pilkington, literally a minute later, had to be at full stretch to claw Knight's overhead kick away which looked odds-on to be nestling in the back of the net after Notts had failed to clear Sterling's long throw into the box, while Tann had to be alert to block a Gallen shot as the home side pushed for a second.
Notts' resistance was broken again from another corner on 67 minutes, with centre-back Swailes heading home beyond the reach of Pilkington in a crowded six-yard box to make Notts' task of getting back into the game all the more difficult.
Despite the huffing and puffing, Notts were able to create many clear-cut opportunities with the home side clearly in no mood to give much away although Dudfield did find room in the box to meet a right-wing cross with fifteen minutes to go, but he was just off target with a looping header.
Somner replaced McCann in the final ten minutes as Notts tried to force their way back into the game, but despite their hard work and endeavour there was no way back for Notts this time when Wilbraham headed Dyer's deep cross into the net from six yards out with five minutes to.
With the unbeaten run out of the window for Notts the focus now firmly on getting the first win of the season next weekend against Dagenham & Redbridge at Meadow Lane.
MK Dons: Gueret, Sterling, Lewington, Andrews (C), Diallo, O'Hanlon (Johnson 45), Gallen (Wilbraham 72), Knight (Murphy 90), Dyer, Navarro, Swailes.
Subs Not Used: Abbey, Carayol.
Booked: Diallo, Gueret, Navarro, Andrews, Knight.
Sent Off: None.
Goals: Andrews (41), Swailes (67), Wilbraham (85).
Notts County: Pilkington, Canoville, Tann, Hunt, McCann (Somner 80), Parkinson (Weir-Daley 59), Smith, Butcher, Mayo, Lee, Dudfield (Sam 84).
Subs Not Used: Silk, MacKenzie.
Booked: Somner.
Sent Off: None.
Goals: None.
Match Referee: Mr J Singh
Attendance: 7,977
nottscountyfc.co.uk Man of the Match: Paul Mayo
