Milton Keynes Dons

MIKE DOVE
On the victory...
“I said (before the game) that it would be a different dynamic today because of the more senior players around it. Normally, the Callum’s the Kabongo’s and the Giorgio’s are the more senior players in this group. It was great for Kabby to sit and watch Nicky Maynard score in the first minute – I’m pleased for him. For them to get minutes (was pleasing) as well.”

On senior players...
“I’ve taken reserves teams in the past and sometimes you go away and pros aren’t really wanting to be there. I can’t fault them today, from the beginning until the end. From Lee (Nicholls) and his constant talking right the way through, to the leadership of Samir (Carruthers), who I made skipper, up to Nicky (Maynard) when he was on – he led by example.”

“It’s amazing for me to see how he’s matured both physically and mentally. I told him, ‘that was a very mature performance today’. It’s very easy, with the pros around you, to rely on them but he stepped up and was very good.”
On Callum Brittain’s goals...

“Part of our ethos with the Academy is to give variety. To me, you couldn’t get more varied than playing against Chalfont St. Peter with the group that we had on that type of pitch, to suddenly come here to this fabulous training ground (Stevenage) have got, with more senior players. For the development, the purpose of this squad is to get this variety and provide different things (for the younger players) because they’re trying to get to professional full-time world. I can’t fault them at all.”
On development of the younger players...

“With only playing five minutes against Bolton and then not getting on at all the Saturday just gone, you don’t want to be losing any match fitness so my main aim was to come here, do the right things well and hopefully get a goal or two, as well as get my confidence up and put myself in good stead for the next game.”
On getting important minutes...

“It’s been disappointing not to get a good run-out in the last couple of weeks so my main aim has been to stay fit. This game come about and it was good to get some minutes under my belt and get a goal.”
On hour-long run-out...
NICKY MAYNARD

“This 21 group is a development for the 18s. On a day like this, they’ll be on the bench and it’s a great learning (curve) for them. Then the opportunity to go on and replace the good work of the players they’ve replaced.”
On cameo for the scholars...

“I came back for the Liverpool game but got injured just before in match prep which was very frustrating. Getting back out there and showing what I can do is all good.”
On bouncing back from injury...

“I’m very pleased. It was good to get a blow-out, good to get a full 90 – my second since I’ve been back from Iceland – and it’s always nice to grab a goal... well, two!”
On a pleasing afternoon...
CALLUM BRITTAIN

“You treat any game as a first-team game. If you get onto the field you put everything into practice and try to do the good things well and try to come out on top. At the start of the game, we said ‘we’re here now and we’ve got to prove we’re good professionals’. We needed to do the right things and try to come away with the win. It’s easy just to go through these games and not really care but that’s not fair on the younger ones who look up to us and want to be in the position we are. We had to put on a good mannerism and show how it’s done.”
On taking the game seriously...

“I played an hour, got myself on the scoresheet and ran about as I usually do. The lads that started on Saturday wouldn’t have done much today so it would have only been four or five of us really training. It was good to get a run-out and maintain our fitness.”
On making the most of the opportunity...

“It was a one-two with Giorgio and it was just really a snapshot but I preferred the second one.”
On the first goal...

“They teach you and help you along the whole way. It’s always nice to play with experienced players because it helps you learn and helps you grow as a player.”
On playing alongside experienced pros...

“I think we put in a shift. We were very mature about it. We worked around the senior players and we all gave it our best.”
On young players’ application...

“Mike tells me, every time, to push forward and stay wide. There was a lot of space on my side, to be fair, so I just got forward and it came for me today.”
On getting forward from full-back...