MK Dons' preparations for the 2010/11 season continue to look extremely promising, despite a 2-0 defeat to Premier League West Ham at stadiummk.

Second-half goals from Hammers substitutes Julien Faubert and Carlton Cole gave the spoils to Avram Grant's side, who had England internationals Rob Green, Matthew Upson and Scott Parker on show in the first half.

But Dons manager Karl Robinson will take plenty of positives from another encouraging performance from his new-look side, who matched their top flight opponents for sustained periods in front of over 12,000 fans at MK1.

More match minutes for the likes of Dietmar Hamann, Sean O'Hanlon and Aaron Wilbraham will come high on that list of positives, along with another impressive showing from Stephen Gleeson in the right-back berth he is fast making his own.

Standing off their illustrious opponents in the opening stages, the Dons were nearly undone on nine minutes as Junior Stanislas sprung the offside trap in the inside-right channel. But the recovering Mathias Doumbe managed to block before Gleeson hacked to safety.

Dietmar Hamann played an assured 45 minutes.

Robinson's side quickly found their feet though, Hamann and Peter Leven combining to find Gleeson on the right before Luke Chadwick's cross was miscued by Jermaine Easter.

Easter was a bag of energy in the Dons attack, backing aggressively into marker Matthew Upson at every opportunity and turning to find space when the defence backed off. Found by Angelo Balanta on 27 minutes, the Welshman almost made the Hammers pay with a rasping drive Rob Green had to push round the post.

With an evident pre-season feel to proceedings, chances were at a premium as both sides popped the ball around probingly in midfield, though Radoslav Kovac should have done better with a free header from Stanislas' 42nd-minute corner.

Sam Baldock races past James Tomkins.

West Ham upped the tempo after the break and the chances began to materialise in a Dons defence moved around at the break. Alessandro Diamanti curled just past Willy Gueret's goal on 54 minutes before Stanislas slipped Anis Ben-Hatira in the clear moments later, only for the Irons trialist to dink wide.

Grant made wholesale changes shortly after the hour mark in a move that seemed to give the Dons an advantage until Faubert fortuitously flicked a cross from the left past Gueret 20 minutes from time.

Dons responded well as Leven's short corner allowed Gleeson to cross and substitute Danny Woodards climbed to head just past the far post.

Dean Lewington tackles Irons trialist Anis Ben-Hatira.

And with 10 minutes remaining, Balanta set off on what is fast-becoming a trademark winding run, only for his curling right-foot shot to fly just past Stefan Wessels' left-hand upright.

But West Ham's class on the break allowed them to add some polish to the scoreline as Cole streaked past the challenges of two recovering defenders down the right before confidently wrapping inside Gueret's far post from 12 yards.

Dons (4-4-2): Gueret; Gleeson (Flanagan 81), O'Hanlon (Chicksen 61), Doumbe (Woodards 46), Lewington (c); Chadwick (Guy 67), Hamann (Wilbraham 46), Leven (Howell 83), Balanta; Easter (Carrington 78), Baldock (Ibehre 72).

Subs not used: Searle, Collins, Powell.

West Ham United (4-5-1): Green (Wessels 46); Tomkins, Gabbidon (da Costa 46), Upson (Spector 46), Daprela (Faubert 64); Ben-Hatira (McCarthy 64), Parker (Hitzlsperger 64), Kovac (Boa Morte 64), Diamanti (Noble 64), Stanislas (Illunga 64); Caraglio (Cole 64).

Subs not used: Sears.

Attendance: 12,230