Aston Villa's Under-21s secured their place at the top of Papa John's Trophy Group K with a thrilling 4-2 win at MK Dons.
Keinan Davis was on target as he continued his return from injury, with Cameron Archer (2) and Aaron Ramsey also finding the net for Mark Delaney's side.
Troy Parrott and Max Watters were on the scoresheet for the home side but Villa thoroughly deserved their third win in three games in the competition, following victories over Wycombe Wanderers and Burton Albion.
The first half was an end-to-end encounter from the first whistle, with Delaney's young team happy to attack their more experienced opponents.
Finley Thorndike had an early effort saved inside 10 minutes, before Watters fired just wide from a low cut-back moments later.
Villa took the lead with their very next forward move, as Davis pounced on a loose pass and held off Zak Jules before curling his shot into the bottom corner beyond Franco Ravizzoli.
The advantage lasted three minutes as the home side equalised when Parrott's powerful strike went in off the crossbar, before they took the lead as Watters converted from close range.
Charlie Brown then shot inches wide and following the repreive, Villa got back on levels terms in first half stoppage time when Archer powered a header beyond Ravizzoli from Davis' cross.
The visitors picked up the intensity in the early stages of the second half and it paid off two minutes before the hour mark.
Davis used his strength and finesse to make room for a shot and when it deflected back off the crossbar, Ramsey reacted quickest to tap the ball into an empty net.
Parrott was inches away from levelling it up seven minutes later, when he struck the woodwork with a long-range free-kick.
The tempo of the game slowed as the minutes ticked by, but Villa made the game safe in stoppage time.
Archer bagged his 12th goal of the season in all competitions with a typically clinical finish before celebrating in front of the travelling supporters to cap off a great night for the Academy.
MK Dons: Ravizzoli; Watson, Baldwin (C), Jules; Martin, McEachran, Boateng, Ilunga (Johnson 87'); Parrott (Eisa 66'); Watters, Brown.
Substitutes not used: Walker, Darling, O'Riley, Twine, Harvie.
Aston Villa: Sinisalo; Ealing, Bogarde, Swinkels, Lindley; A. Ramsey (C), Iroegbunam, Carney Chukwuemeka; Thorndike, Davis (Goodridge 72'), Archer.
Substitutes not used: Zych, Hart, T. O'Reilly, Zito, Rowe, Afoka.