Coventry City's undefeated home run was brought to an end by MK Dons courtesy of substitute Izale McLeod's second half winner for the visitors at Sixfields.
Dons youngster Dele Alli fired a volley past Joe Murphy with six minutes of the first half to go to give the visitors a slender advantage from a relatively even first period.
Sky Blues skipper Carl Baker then swept home a well worked equaliser just before the hour mark although McLeod reinstated Dons' advantage minutes later with a lobbed finish to end City's five-game unbeaten run at Sixfields.
Boss Steven Pressley rang three changes to his side for the clash with the Dons, welcoming back centre half Dan Seaborne and League One top scorer Callum Wilson from injury along with midfielder John Fleck who had finished serving a two-match suspension.
The trio came into the side at the expense of Blair Adams, Anton Robinson and the injured Franck Moussa who all started in Tuesday night's 0-0 home draw with Bradford City.
The opening stages of the game were played out at a frantic pace although the encounter was nine minutes old before the first effort of the day was fashioned by the visitors.
A well weighted through ball was played directly into the path of Matthew Kennedy who burst into the area and fired a low shot but was denied by the legs of Joe Murphy.
It was the only real chance of the first half up until the 23rd minute when James Loveridge lifted a delicate shot at goal from 20 yards which required Murphy's outstretched fingertips to push it around the post.
The Sky Blues went just as close two minutes later though when Jordan Clarke raced the length of the pitch to get on the end over an overlapping ball from Wilson before getting around Dean Lewington and flashing a shot across the face of goal which went inches wide of the far post.
The skirmish up the pitch seemed to lift the Sky Blues and they forced a goalline clearance from the visitors after the half hour when Wilson was set free on the counter attack and tried to cut back a finish from near Dons' byline only to see Antony Kay scoop the ball out of the goalmouth.
MK Dons did take the lead in spectacular fashion six minutes before the break though through Alli. A headed clearance from a corner delivery only fell as far as the youngster whoput his foot through a volley from 20 yards which had Murphy beaten as it flew inside his far post.
The Sky Blues came out for the second half and started positively though when Wilson slipped a short ball to Nathan Eccleston who was denied by a close range save from David Martin.
Martin was tested again on 55 minutes when a sweeping crossfield ball from Carl Baker picked out Mark Marshall whose touch took him inside his mafrker before he shot from distance, Martin palming the effort away.
City were level three minutes before the hour though with a fine piece of interplay which involved Wilson and then Marshall whose delicate touch into the path of Baker allowed the skipper to swipe home the leveller past Martin and just inside the foot of the far post.
The Sky Blues could have been two up on the hour when John Fleck intercepted a pass in midfield and brought Wilson into play, the striker in turn slipping a pass through to the unmarked Eccleston who took a touch to turn his man in the box beofre his shot was deflected over the bar by a desperate outstretched leg.
MK Dons regained their lead on 66 minutes though courtesy of substitute Izale McLeod who put them back in front with effectively his first touch.
McLeod replaced James Loveridge and with his first action, chased a lofted delivery and rolled off the shoulder of Andy Webster before lobbing a bouncing ball over the advancing Joe Murphy to put the visitors ahead once more.
The Sky Blues were handed a chance to level again with 20 minutes to go when Wilson chased a through ball from Baker and was felled in the area by Antony Kay, with referee Graham Horwood awarding a penalty.
Baker's spot kick was saved though by Martin who rose to his feet quickly to also produce a one-handed save and deny Wilson's follow up.
The away side's advantage resulted them in playing a deeper backline which encouraged City to press forward and they did create a number of half chances but nothing that looked likely to threaten the goal mouth.
That patterned continued into five minutes of added time which MK Dons saw out to protect their lead and take home all three points.
Attendance: 2,782 (1,051 away)
Teams
Coventry City: Murphy, Webster, Seaborne, Willis, Clarke, Baker (c), Marshall (McGeouch 75), Prutton (Robinson 78), Fleck, Eccleston (Delfouneso 69), Wilson
Subs: Burge (GK), Christie, Adams, Thomas
MKDons: Martin, Lewington (c), Bowditch (Rasulo 12, Randall 78), Smith, Alli, Powell, Baldock, Spence, Kay, Loveridge (McLeod 66), Kennedy
Subs: Burns (GK), Galloway