If Sunday’s disappointing defeat at Kidderminster was a case of "after the Lord Mayor’s Show", perhaps a new phrase needs to be coined to describe something heartening that follows such a deflating event. Whatever that phrase might be, this 3-0 victory at a wet Kingsmeadow over a spirited Cambridge side was all the evidence Terry Brown needed if he was wondering how his young Dons would perform after two such differing displays.

Recalls for Ricky Wellard and Andre Blackman, coupled with the return from injury of Ismail Yakubu and Christian Jolley, meant four changes to the Dons’ starting line-up, and there was no place in the 16 for Rashid Yussuf or Mark Nwokeji. But for the first 15 minutes the personnel changes seemed to be having had a detrimental effect, as United began the game looking the more dangerous of the two sides. Their summer signing from Histon, Danny Wright, tested Seb Brown’s reflexes early on, and Rory McAuley’s 20-yarder stung the Dons keeper’s fingertips.

Wright then just failed to get on the end of Russell’s cross and saw his angled drive fly just over as the Dons stood off their opponents a bit too often for the liking of Messrs Brown, Cash and Bassey. Cambridge’s David Partridge soon realised that the only way he was going to stop Ryan Jackson from tormenting him with his lightning pace was to rugby-tackle him, and he got away with three such assaults -- one of which prevented Jackson from getting on the end of a Steven Gregory through-ball, while another stopped him from joining in a Dons break after Yakubu cleared a corner.

Referee Davies awarded United a goal-kick when an Andre Blackman shot took a huge deflection off a United defender and trickled out for a corner. Cambridge keeper Simon Brown had rolled the ball towards the corner flag and begun to organise his defence by the time he realised that a goal kick had been given.

By then, though, the Dons could and perhaps should have been two up. A Jolley volley from a Jackson cross fizzed wide of Simon Brown’s goal. And a cute Wellard pass set up Sammy Moore for a shot on goal, but his effort struck the far post and bounced to safety as the Dons started to turn up the pressure. Simon Brown made a smart save to deny a Gregory header and then blocked another Jolley effort before more great work by Jackson set up the former Kingstonian winger -- but he skied his effort from 18 yards out.

Jackson’s influence on proceedings was now growing, and in quick succession Partridge and Robbie Willmott were both booked for blocking the 19-year-old’s path to the touchline. Jackson and Sam Hatton failed to trouble United’s Brown with long-range efforts as United held out until half-time.

Yakubu succumbed to a groin strain and was replaced at the break by Fraser Franks, but before the defence had time to settle United very nearly took the lead. Seb Brown spilled a Russell snap-shot and gratefully grabbed the ball at the second attempt after it had squeezed under him.

As the rain continued to lash down, the burger bar by the Paul Strank Stand disappeared behind a cloud of smoke that, in different weather conditions, could have caused a few problems. But what had also disappeared was United’s attacking threat. Franks and Ed Harris were coping manfully with the lumbering Wright and former Wimbledon striker Wayne Gray, and the Dons were now able to mount attacks at will. Cambridge’s Brian Saah and Josh Coulson were working overtime to ensure parity for as long as possible as a Dons goal began to look increasingly likely and a riposte from the visitors increasingly unlikely.

On 69 minutes, the Dons broke the deadlock. Sam Hatton’s corner was nodded goalwards by Danny Kedwell, and Franks timed his run perfectly to head powerfully past Brown for his first goal in senior football. The delight on the Dons bench was clear for all to see -- a well-rehearsed corner routine had been executed adeptly. Four minutes later, it was game over. Jackson’s cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Kedwell, and Jolley couldn’t miss with a header from less than a yard out.

The second goal, coming so soon after Franks’ opener, seemed to spur United into action. Wright’s replacement Daryl Clare gave their attack a new dimension, as Clare was far more mobile, and the chance for Franks and Harris to relax had gone. However, United just couldn’t get the ball to him, and other than three late corners that the Dons cleared without too much trouble, United’s forward play came to nothing.

With a minute of normal time remaining, the Dons made it 3-0. Jackson and Sammy Moore conjured a chance for Franks to curl a 20-yard first-time drive into the top-left corner with his supposed weaker foot. It was an effort that any Premier League striker would have been proud of, let alone a 19-year-old Conference defender.