MK Dons Run Riot Against Burton Albion as Crowley and Silvera Continue to Shine

Credit: Alistair Marriott

Milton Keynes Dons extended their impressive run of form with a commanding victory on Saturday over a depleted Burton Albion, scoring seven goals in an emphatic Sky Bet League One encounter. While the scoreline told its own story, the performances of Dan Crowley and Sam Silvera offered further evidence of the progress being made under Paul Warne.

Milton Keynes Dons continued their resurgence in emphatic fashion, sweeping aside a depleted Burton Albion to record a comprehensive 6-2 victory in Sky Bet League One.

Goals from Dan Crowley, Callum Paterson, Jack Sanders and Ben Wiles, alongside a brace from Sam Nombe, secured all three points in a dominant attacking display. The result extends the Dons’ winning run to six matches in all competitions, including four consecutive victories in the league.

The hosts wasted little time in establishing their superiority. Within the opening ten minutes, Crowley opened the scoring following an excellent passage of play between Sam Silvera and Ryan Wintle. The pair combined to create the opportunity for a dangerous delivery into the penalty area, where Crowley arrived unmarked, timed his run perfectly and calmly slotted home.

With half-time approaching, the Dons doubled their advantage through Nombe. The combative forward wrestled possession just inside the opposition half before driving directly towards goal. Showing impressive strength and determination, he skipped past two defenders before seeing his initial effort parried by Burton goalkeeper Corey Addai. Fortunately for the hosts, the rebound fell kindly back into Nombe’s path, allowing him to finish and register his second goal of the season.

Throughout the majority of the first half, clear-cut opportunities came increasingly scarce. Nevertheless, the majority of the hosts’ attacking threat originated through two influential figures: Crowley and Silvera, whose combination of creativity and directness repeatedly troubled the visitors.

The second half began in much the same fashion as the first had ended, with the Dons firmly in control and Burton struggling to offer any meaningful attacking resistance.

It took just five minutes after the restart for the hosts to extend their advantage. Defender Jack Sanders rose highest to meet the delivery and direct his header beyond Addai, effectively putting the contest beyond an already struggling Albion side.

However, Burton briefly threatened to inject some life into proceedings just two minutes later. Wing-back Emeka Adiele collected an overhit cross, arriving at precisely the right moment before unleashing a thunderous strike beyond the reach of Will Dennis. It was a superb finish and, for a fleeting moment, offered the visitors a glimmer of encouragement.

That resistance proved short-lived.

The Dons quickly restored their three-goal cushion through Paterson, who showed considerable determination to battle past two defenders and get the decisive touch on a hopeful ball redirected towards the centre of the penalty area following a broken-down crossing opportunity.

With the contest once again firmly under their control, the hosts continued to exploit the space afforded to them by a Burton defence increasingly unable to cope with their attacking movement.

Nombe then completed his brace, collecting possession out wide after beating the offside trap. Cutting inside, he drove a powerful effort towards the base of the post, leaving Addai with little chance of preventing the ball from finding the net.

Five became six when substitute Wiles produced an accomplished finish of his own. Latching onto a long ball over the top of the Burton defence, he demonstrated excellent technique to bring the ball under control with his left foot before firing home with his right.

By this stage, the result was beyond doubt, and the majority of the travelling Burton support had already made their way towards the exits. Those who remained, however, were treated to a moment of genuine quality from their side.

Kain Adom provided a consolation of the highest order, letting fly from approximately 30 yards with an opportunistic effort that flew into the top corner. It was arguably a contender for Burton’s goal of the season and, at the very least, gave the remaining supporters something to celebrate.

It was a strike worthy of deciding a match, but not one capable of disguising the shortcomings that had preceded it. Across virtually every department, Burton had been second best, and one moment of individual brilliance could do little to compensate for an otherwise disappointing collective performance.

Before the final goals for each side, Warne took the opportunity to make four changes, withdrawing Crowley, Silvera, Gilbey and Paterson with future fixtures in mind. All four had played important roles in the afternoon’s success, but the performances of Crowley and Silvera were particularly noteworthy.

Indeed, both have emerged as rather unlikely protagonists in the Dons’ campaign, having faced different challenges in establishing themselves as important members of Warne’s starting XI.

Dan Crowley: From the periphery to the heart of the midfield

When Crowley arrived at the club, few could have anticipated quite how long it would take for him to establish himself as a regular starter.

Much of his first 18 months at MK Dons was spent on the periphery of the first team, providing occasional squad rotation while also enduring an unfortunate spell on the sidelines through injury. Prior to the current campaign, he featured in just 38 of the 61 available matches following his arrival, with many of those appearances coming from the substitutes’ bench.

However, circumstances following promotion, coupled with Liam Kelly’s departure to Peterborough, created an opportunity for Crowley to stake his claim for a regular starting position.

He has seized it.

Now 29, the midfielder appears to have earned Warne’s confidence and, perhaps just as importantly, has been afforded a role that allows him to make the most of his natural abilities. Operating with greater freedom in midfield alongside Alex Gilbey, Crowley has become an increasingly influential presence, capable of dictating the tempo, finding pockets of space and providing the creative spark that can unlock opposition defences.

His responsibilities have also grown. Having established himself as the side’s principal dead-ball specialist, he has become an important source of creativity, with his technical ability and vision increasingly central to the Dons’ attacking approach.

The underlying statistics provide further evidence of his development.

Across the 2025/26 campaign, Crowley accumulated exactly 1,200 minutes of playing time, averaging fewer than 40 minutes per appearance. In the nine matches of the current campaign so far, he has already played 509 minutes, a substantial increase in his involvement and an indication of the greater responsibility he now carries, even with missing a few of the games through injury, and subsequently easing back into the side in the following two matches.

His performances have also been reflected in the numbers. Crowley currently holds an average Opta rating of 7.1, compared to 6.6 last campaign, alongside one assist. Perhaps more revealing, however, is his expected assists (xA) figure of 3.16. This suggests that his creative contribution has been greater than his assist tally alone would indicate, with his teammates yet to convert a number of the opportunities he has helped create.

There has been considerable improvement in other areas, too. His passing accuracy has increased from 67 per cent to 80 per cent, while his defensive contributions per 90 minutes have risen from 1.4 to 3.6.

That improvement is significant. Crowley is no longer simply providing an attacking outlet; he is contributing more consistently across the pitch, combining creative influence with a greater willingness to undertake the defensive work required of a modern midfielder.

For Warne, that combination is invaluable. A player capable of influencing matches in possession while also contributing defensively offers considerable tactical flexibility, and Crowley is increasingly demonstrating that he can provide both.

Sam Silvera: The positional gamble paying dividends

If Crowley’s emergence has been a story of patience rewarded, Silvera’s has been one of adaptation, opportunity and an increasingly convincing transformation.

A summer recruit from Middlesbrough, the Australian arrived with the expectation that he would initially be something of a long-term project. Although his attacking qualities were apparent, his transition into a wing-back role required time and work on the training ground.

Consequently, Silvera was initially absent from the matchday squads, not because of injury, but because of the coaching staff’s desire to familiarise him with the demands of his new position before introducing him into the first team.

It was a calculated decision, although one that would soon be accelerated by events on the pitch.

The Dons endured a miserable opening to the campaign, going without a victory in their first eight matches and struggling to produce performances capable of inspiring confidence. Warne was eventually forced to reconsider his options, with the lack of form among the established starters creating opportunities for those previously overlooked.

Silvera was among those to benefit.

Since being introduced into the starting XI, he has made the position his own, producing performances that have increasingly justified the faith placed in him. What initially appeared to be an experiment has developed into one of the more encouraging individual success stories of the campaign.

His qualities are particularly suited to the demands of the role. A sharp burst of acceleration allows him to escape pressure and carry the ball into advanced areas, while his crossing ability provides the Dons with an additional attacking dimension. Crucially, he possesses the confidence to drive forward and maintain momentum rather than simply recycling possession.

His impact is also reflected in the statistical comparison with Gethin Jones, the player he has displaced from the starting position.

Silvera has recorded stronger figures across several important categories, including passing accuracy, interceptions, distance covered, key attacking passes and duels won. The breadth of that improvement is particularly encouraging, suggesting that his influence extends beyond the attacking contributions that initially made him an attractive prospect.

For a player who arrived with the intention of developing into an unfamiliar position, the speed at which he has adapted is impressive.

There is still room for further development, particularly as he continues to refine the defensive aspects of his game. Nevertheless, his performances have already made a compelling argument for his continued inclusion.

A promising direction for the Dons

The victory over Burton was, first and foremost, an emphatic demonstration of MK Dons’ attacking capabilities. Six goals, five different scorers and a sixth consecutive victory in all competitions represent a remarkable turnaround from the difficulties experienced at the beginning of the campaign.

Yet the significance of the afternoon extends beyond the scoreline.

Crowley’s growing influence and Silvera’s successful positional transition are two examples of how Warne’s side are beginning to find solutions from within their existing squad. Both players have overcome different obstacles to establish themselves as important components of the team, and their contributions suggest that the Dons are developing greater depth, flexibility and attacking variety.

There will undoubtedly be sterner tests ahead than a depleted Burton Albion side, and the true measure of this resurgence will be whether the performances can be sustained against stronger opposition.

For now, however, the momentum is firmly with MK Dons. A team that struggled to find its footing at the beginning of the season is now playing with confidence, purpose and an increasingly convincing attacking identity.

The challenge for Warne is to ensure that this impressive run becomes the foundation of something more substantial, rather than simply a fleeting period of good form.