Milton Keynes Dons vs Wigan Athletic. Sky Bet League One.
Stadium:mkAttendance9,164.
Saturday 5 August 2017 20:01, UK
Nick Powell's first-half strike was enough for Wigan to see off MK Dons 1-0 at Stadium MK, as both sides were reduced to 10 men on the opening day of the Sky Bet League One season.
Powell's early opener was followed by a heated 20-minute period either side of the break, as MK's Scott Wootton and Wigan's Callum Elder were both given their marching orders.
Wigan made their early pressure pay when they took the lead minutes before half-time after Michael Jacobs surged forwards, before slotting a through ball into the path of the onrushing Powell who poked home with a right-footed effort from inside the box.
But both sides were left frustrated either side of half-time as referee Kevin Johnson showed straight-red cards to Wigan's Elder for a suspected two-footed lunge moments from the break, while MK's Wootton also saw red for a last-ditch challenge on Latics winger Jacobs after 58 minutes.
And - although MK huffed and puffed in the later stages of the second half - the Latics' defensive lines proved too tough a barrier to break