Match report: Blackpool 1 MK Dons 0

The midfielder’s low strike gave Gary Bowyer’s men three points which they were good value for despite their visitors mounting late pressure on the home goal.

It might not have been pretty at times but victory and a clean sheet gives the Seasiders plenty to build on.

Pool’s third game of the season saw Bowyer try a third different formation and make seven changes from the side beaten at Wigan Athletic in midweek.

Longstaff, Nick Anderton, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Viv Solomon-Otabor were the only players to retain a starting spot as Bowyer switched from Tuesday’s 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 with Osayi-Samuel and Solomon-Otabor joined by Mark Cullen in a speedy front three.

It only took five minutes for them to make an impact after a pacy, direct run from Solomon-Otabor earned the Seasiders a corner.

The ball wasn’t cleared and eventually found its way to Longstaff, who drilled a shot past Lee Nicholls and inside his right-hand post.

Osayi-Samuel almost set up a second midway through the half, breaking at speed after a Dons free-kick was cleared.

Having got to the edge of the visitors’ area, he rolled the ball across to Solomon-Otabor, who couldn’t control it first time and the chance was gone.

Ed Upson had gone closest for the Dons in the opening 20 minutes with a shot from distance straight at Ryan Allsop but they grew into the game as the half progressed.

The closest they came was nine minutes before the break when Gboly Aryibi’s free-kick was glanced narrowly wide of goal by Ethan Ebanks-Landell.

Nevertheless, Pool could have been two up at the break after good pressure won them the ball but Osayi-Samuel fired off target when he should have found the net.

The Dons were on the front foot at the start of the second half with Kieran Agard cutting in and firing wildly off target before going to ground inside the area and seeing his appeal come to nothing.

Yet, despite the Dons’ best efforts, it was Nicholls who continued to be the busier of the two keepers.

He prevented his side from going 2-0 down when pushing away Jimmy Ryan’s free-kick before making a more routine stop from Osayi-Samuel.

Both sides began to ring the changes but it was the Seasiders who could have doubled their lead as Nicholls’ point-blank save denied Osayi-Samuel.

With the knowledge they were still in the game, MK Dons began to put pressure on the home defence with Sam Nombe heading well over and Agard’s long-range attempt pushed away by Allsop.

A free-kick also caused chaos in the Blackpool defence and ended with Scott Wootton’s effort being blocked as nerves began to set in among the home fans.

However, they withstood their visitors’ late pressure - and four added minutes of injury time - to claim their first three points of the season.

Blackpool: Allsop, Turton, Robertson, Tilt, Anderton, Longstaff (Aimson 90), Ryan, Daniel, Solomon-Otabor, Cullen (Gnanduillet 72), Osayi-Samuel (Delfouneso 82). Subs not used: Williams, Taylor, Clayton, Hartley.

MK Dons: Nicholls, Williams, Ebanks-Landell, Wootton, Lewington, Cisse, Agard, Upson (Seager 60), Tshibola, Ariyibi, Muirhead (Nombe 72). Subs not used: Siestma, Walsh, McGrandles, Brittain, Thomas-Asante.

Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge.

Attendance: 3,412.