Strong early lead seals three points for the Bees at home
The Bees set the tone from the very first whistle, asserting their control almost immediately.
Inside the opening 10 seconds, captain Sam Lanza surged towards goal, only to be stopped at the final hurdle.
It wasn’t long before the breakthrough arrived as Lanza was played through once again and made no mistake this time, calmly firing into the bottom left corner to give the hosts an early lead.
The Bees continued to dominate in the opening stages and doubled their advantage within the first 10 minutes.
A superb left-footed cross from Millie Isherwood picked out Sandra Martins, who slid the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 2–0.
Moments later, the Bees struck again.
Martins turned provider down the left-hand side, delivering a pinpoint cross for Lanza to head home her second goal in quick succession.
With a firm grip on the game early in the first half, the Bees kept pressing, creating further chances through Campbell and Isherwood.
Defensively, the hosts were equally impressive, working well as a unit to shut down every opportunity that came their way.
However, the visitors found a way back into the game shortly before the break.
MK Dons were awarded a free kick just outside the box following a late challenge.
The initial effort struck the crossbar, and Maddie Pollard reacted quickest to convert the rebound past Tia Ginn, giving her side a lifeline.
A late chance from the visitors was then dealt with by Ginn, who rushed off her line to collect and ensure the score remained unchanged at the interval.
Half-Time: London Bees 3–1 MK Dons
The Bees started the second half on the front foot once again. An early cross from Campbell looked set to find a teammate, but the Dons’ goalkeeper punched clear.
Dan McKimm’s side continued to move the ball quickly and press high up the pitch.
Martins was played through brilliantly by Campbell soon after, but her effort from inside the box drifted just wide.
Chances continued to come, with Hayley Hoare, Isherwood and Aimee Durn all going close to joining the scoresheet.
The first substitution saw Fran Vigo replace Megan Burrows, and her impact was almost immediate.
Vigo tested the goalkeeper with a well-struck effort from distance, forcing a diving save.
From the resulting pressure, the Bees finally found their fourth.
Isherwood delivered a corner into the box, which fell kindly to Rebekah Wozniak, who tapped home to all but seal the victory.
A late quadruple substitution from McKimm added fresh legs for the closing stages.
Isherwood came close to adding a fifth, striking the post, but the final whistle soon followed to confirm a convincing home win.
Full-Time: London Bees 4–1 MK Dons
The Bees’ next match is against Warford next Sunday in cup action at The Bees Stadium.
Lineup: Ginn, Heil, Flynn (Doolan 88′), Martins, Durn, Isherwood, Lanza, Burrows (Vigo 76′), Wozniak (Vyse 88′), Campbell (Kenly 88′), Hoare (Davidson 88′).
Goals: Lanza (4′, 9′), Martins (6′), Wozniak (84′)