Dons manager Karl Robinson admitted that he had his first tough team-talk at half-time during Tuesday's Carling Cup tie against Dagenham & Redbridge.
But the rookie boss praised his players for the second-half response that booked a place in Wednesday night's second round draw.
Trailing to Damien McCrory's free-kick after a disjointed first-half display, Robinson laid it on the line to his team during the break - raise the standard or changes will be made.
And the response was impressive - the home side rapidly increasing the tempo before Jabo Ibehre's double put the knife into the Daggers.
"For the first time since I got this job, I had to have a go at people at half-time," Robbo told the media after the game.
"I asked them to raise their game and they're the ones that did it in the second half.
"Okay, we weren't great in the first half. We didn't move the ball particularly well and tried things that weren't on, but it wasn't through lack of effort. They had one shot in the first half, which was a free-kick that never was, and it ended up going in.
"The fans were magnificent in the second half, got right behind us and made us a real force. We moved the ball quicker and made it difficult for them.
"Jabo will be the one singled out because he scored two magnificent goals, but everyone at this Football Club pulled it together tonight."
