With positive news at a number of levels this week, Mike Dove reflected on what has been an extremely positive few days for the MK Dons Academy.

It's been a busy week for the Club's young players, who travelled to Norwich City in the Premier Academy League at the weekend before most of the second-year apprentices were involved in Tuesday's friendly with Celtic.

A huge amount was taken from both games by Mike and his staff as they continue to develop the Club's next generation of players - lessons that can be passed on not just to the current apprentices, but further down the Club's youth system.

While Norwich ran out 2-1 winners on Saturday, Mike was pleased with the way his young players adapted to a different challenge on their travels. Though defender Harry Milton was on target during the first half, goals either side from the Canaries laid the foundations for a hard-fought victory.

Mike said: "Academy football is about developing young boys as players and on Saturday we had to adapt to a situation we hadn't faced this season.

"Norwich got themselves in front and organised themselves well in defence, forcing us to play long and looking to hit us on the counter-attack.

Harry Milton was on target for the Under-18s against Norwich.

"It meant we had a lot of the ball for long periods of time and, at first, some of our younger lads struggled with how to deal with that. It wasn't the fast-paced, pressured, high-tempo game they were used to. It was a fantastic learning exercise because the players had to come up with a solution to a problem they hadn't faced before.

"In that situation you can involve them in their learning and come to a combined conclusion as to how you're going to unlock the space the opposition are trying to deny you. Teaching a player in that way, rather than them just doing something because you tell them to, they have a clearer understanding of why they are doing it. It's about creating thinking footballers.

"We lost the game, but I came away buzzing at what the players had learned from the experience."

With no reserve team to utilise this term, behind-closed-doors games have become the best opportunity for youngsters to make an impression on the first team staff and Tuesday's visit of Celtic was a prime example.

While second-year Adam Chicksen put in an impressive 90-minute display at left-back, Troy Farden, Charlie Collins, Martel Powell, Igor Coronado, Justin Dowling and Ashley Harrison were all involved off the bench.

Mike said: "The second years were given a chance to be involved against Celtic and it was another fantastic opportunity for them.

"For someone like Adam to play the whole game alongside people like Sol Davis, Peter Leven and Aaron Wilbraham and against a team like Celtic - that's priceless experience for him and I felt he was one of the standout performers.

"By the end of the game we had nine apprentices on the pitch and, while Celtic managed to get back into it during that time, it's the kind of experience they will have taken a lot from."

Dons Under-18s v Norwich: Harrison, Williams, Ivey-Warde (Lee 62), Milton, Chicksen, King (c), Dowling (Browne 75), Farden, M. Powell, Coronado (McGovern 85), Collins.

Subs not used: Goode, Plowright.