Defender George Baldock completed the full 90 minutes in Tuesday’s Final Third Development League Cup clash at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The right-back made his first competitive appearance since September as a substitute in the FA Cup tie with Chesterfield last weekend but played the entirety of Tuesday’s development fixture, where the Dons fell to a 2-0 defeat.
Ian McLoughlin, Tom Flanagan, Danny Green and Giorgio Rasulo were the other first-team players who featured in the clash, alongside several members of the Dons’ youth-team squad.
George Cole had the game’s first chance for Brighton on six minutes with a swerving shot which forced a save from McLoughlin. The Dons keeper then denied the young forward with another strong stop soon after, this time from a header.
However, Albion’s early pressure eventually told in the 12th minute when midfielder Jesse Starkey squeezed a low strike beyond McLoughlin from the edge of the box to put his side ahead.
The Dons were dealt a further blow just before the half-hour mark when Flanagan was forced off following a clash of heads with Brighton’s Charlie Harris – the centre-back was replaced by second-year scholar Jacob Daffern.
It was Brighton who would have the final chance of a cagey first half through Jason Davis but, after the winger latched onto Harris’ pass, he was denied by McLoughlin, who rushed off his line quickly to make the save.
The West Sussex outfit would then double their lead on courtesy of Glenn Rea, who capped off a good attacking move with a neat finish past McLoughlin just 60 seconds before the hour.
Refusing to let their heads drop, the Dons continued to attack and they almost pulled a goal back in the 66th minute when Daffern met Rasulo’s cross, but the defender’s header was saved by Ankergren.
The men from MK1 remained frustrated until the very end as they slipped to their second straight defeat in the Final Third Development League Cup.
Starting XI: McLoughlin; Baldock, Hickford, Flanagan (Daffern 28), Okito; Hadden, Green; Vaughan, Rasulo, Tilney; Tshimanga.
Unused subs: McCorkell (GK), Tingey.
Ian McLoughlin, Tom Flanagan, Danny Green and Giorgio Rasulo were the other first-team players who featured in the clash, alongside several members of the Dons’ youth-team squad.
George Cole had the game’s first chance for Brighton on six minutes with a swerving shot which forced a save from McLoughlin. The Dons keeper then denied the young forward with another strong stop soon after, this time from a header.
However, Albion’s early pressure eventually told in the 12th minute when midfielder Jesse Starkey squeezed a low strike beyond McLoughlin from the edge of the box to put his side ahead.
The Dons were dealt a further blow just before the half-hour mark when Flanagan was forced off following a clash of heads with Brighton’s Charlie Harris – the centre-back was replaced by second-year scholar Jacob Daffern.
It was Brighton who would have the final chance of a cagey first half through Jason Davis but, after the winger latched onto Harris’ pass, he was denied by McLoughlin, who rushed off his line quickly to make the save.
The West Sussex outfit would then double their lead on courtesy of Glenn Rea, who capped off a good attacking move with a neat finish past McLoughlin just 60 seconds before the hour.
Refusing to let their heads drop, the Dons continued to attack and they almost pulled a goal back in the 66th minute when Daffern met Rasulo’s cross, but the defender’s header was saved by Ankergren.
The men from MK1 remained frustrated until the very end as they slipped to their second straight defeat in the Final Third Development League Cup.
Starting XI: McLoughlin; Baldock, Hickford, Flanagan (Daffern 28), Okito; Hadden, Green; Vaughan, Rasulo, Tilney; Tshimanga.
Unused subs: McCorkell (GK), Tingey.
