A second-half penalty was enough for MK Dons to come out 1-0 winners against Oxford United in the EFL trophy at the Kassam Stadium.

Jack Payne picked himself up after being fouled in the box to tuck the penalty away past Simon Eastwood in the 58th minute.

The penalty was won after the ball was cleverly headed into Payne’s path by Ellison Harrison before the midfielder was brought down by Greg Leigh as he went to shoot.

The win sees the Dons take charge of the group in the competition with United still to face Chelsea under-21s next month.

United had a number of chances after the penalty but were unable to beat Michael Kelly in goal.

Shortly after being brought Josh Murphy was found on the edge of the box by Harris in the 66th minute but his effort ball was blasted wide of the left-hand post.

Minutes later Murphy played in Fin Stevens down the right-hand with an audacious pass round the corner but Kelly was out quick to smother the strike from close range.

MK Dons could have doubled their lead in the 77th minute if it wasn’t for a crucial block from Ciaron Brown denying Jonathon Leko who had a good chance inside the box.

With minutes to go, the United home fans thought their side had equalised as an effort from the edge of the box from Perkin's rippled the side netting.

The first half saw both sides have a number of half chances but neither team were clinical enough to break the deadlock.

The visitors had their first sight of goal in the 15th minute after a dangerous low corner was flicked towards Simon Eastwood but Max Dean but it was cleared from inside the six-yard before the goalkeeper was needed.

Another half chance was creates by the visitors a minute later as Warren O'Hora picked out Jack Payne on the edge of the box, who took a touch before taking an effort at goal but Eastwood made a comfortable save. 

MK Dons looked most like scoring in the opening exchanges and a shaky back pass from Goodrham in the 20th minute was almost played into Harrison’s path but Eastwood managed to get to the ball first.

United’s best opportunity fell in the first half to Goodrham in the 23rd minute after he found himself at the end of a cross at the box post from a cross from Leigh but his volley bounced past the post via a deflection.

Eastwood was then forced into a save down to his right after a poor clearance was picked up by Payne who played the ball to Dean who fired an effort at goal from just inside the box.

The U's looked to end the half brightly as in the 44th minute, quick feet from Goodrham saw him beat one man before being taken out by a second just outside the box giving United a freekick which was smashed against the bar by Smyth.

It was MK Dons who had the final chance of the first half after Ilunga found himself with space inside the box but Eastwood rushed out quickly to make the save.