Sutton went out of the Carabao Cup at the first round stage after Conor Grant’s goal four minutes before half time separated the sides. In a game that rarely got in to top gear, the home side dominated possession but found it hard to break down the U’s defence and more often than not were reduced to shots from outside the penalty area that didn’t trouble Jack Rose, while Us had chances in both halves, the best coming with the last kick of the game when substitute Luke Gambin volleyed over from Rob Milsom’s cross.

U’s were unchanged from the starting line-up at Doncaster, while MK made seven changes from the side beaten by Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, but centre backs Jack Tucker and Warren O’Hora, along with goalkeeper Jamie Cumming, were retained and the three spent a lot of time in possession as the home side opted to play out from the back whenever possible. Although there was more space for the MK midfield than U’s would have liked it was still a challenge to break through U’s defence, with Dawson Devoy and Darragh Burns sending harmless shots from range, and when there was a closer opportunity Milsom blocked superbly from Matt Dennis. It was at the other end that the best chance came, Enzio Boldewijn bringing down a cross from the left and stepping inside a defender, but then shooting against Tucker.

When a similar chance came at the other end it proved decisive as Devoy slipped a pass to Conor Grant, who sidestepped Milsom and drilled a shot across Rose in to the net, and there was another blow before the break for U’s as Coby Rowe limped off, Joe Kizzi moving in to central defence as Jon Barden came on.

MK could have doubled their lead early in the second half when Burns looped a header just wide from Henry Lawrence’s cross, but as in the first half they were otherwise restricted to long range efforts, and when substitute Louie Barry did work an opening on the right of the penalty area he shot too close to Rose.

Sutton had a good spell midway through the half as Ali Smith’s low shot was pushed away by Cumming, and Kizzi sent a low volley wide, while there were two penalty shouts as substitute Kylian Kouassi went over as he tried to turn on to a long throw, and Harry Beautyman claimed for handball as his low shot was blocked by O’Hora. The big chance, though, came right at the end when Kouassi and Josh Neufville combined to release the overlapping Milsom, and his cross fell invitingly for substitute Gambin, who wasted the chance to make his competitive debut a memorable one as his first time volley flew over the bar.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, R Milsom, C Rowe(sub J Barden 45+2), C Eastmond(sub H Beautyman 60), L John, E Boldewijn(sub L Gambin 77), A Smith, O Bugiel(sub K Thomas 77), D Wilson(sub K Kouassi 60), J Neufville. Subs n/u B House, M Ridley, A Lovatt, T Fadahunsi.

MK: J Cumming, H Lawrence, Z Jules, J Tucker, W O’Hora, D Devoy, D Kemp(sub B Ilunga 89) E Robson(sub M Smith 78), M Dennis(sub L Barry 62), C Grant, D Burns. Subs n/u F Ravizzoli, D Oyegoke, E Gyamfi, C Tripp.

Referee: Charles Breakspear

Attendance: 2,263(273 away)