Karl Robinson praised midfield pair Danny Green and Mark Randall after his side’s pre-season victory over Dagenham and Redbridge.
“On night’s like tonight, when (Danny) combines that quality and work ethic he’s a real threat,” Robinson told MK Dons Player. “He’s had a poor few games but he’s a quality footballer and his delivery from set-pieces is sensational – he even had the cheek to try and score direct from one in the second half.
“I also thought Mark Randall was excellent. He was in a different league to most players on the pitch and if he can keep his head, I believe he can be a rough diamond for us.
The 33-year-old continued: “All the players conducted themselves really well and it was as good exercise for us. I did think the back four looked sloppy and our turnover of possession wasn’t great but on the front foot we looked really good.
“There were a lot of positives to take from the game but we’re not getting carried away. We know the result could have been more, we missed a few gilt-edged chances towards the end but we looked dominant.
“In the last twenty minutes we had eight of 11 players on the pitch home grown and that’s incredible statistic. We’re still a few players away from where I want to be but it’s a positive and a step in the right direction.”
The only real downside to Tuesday evening was the sight of captain Dean Lewington hobbling off mid-way through the second half, just five days before his testimonial match at stadiummk.
The full-back received lengthy treatment on the field before being replaced by second-year scholar Gedeon Okito but despite serious concerns at the time, Robinson is confident the injury isn’t as bad as first feared.
He confirmed: “At the time we thought it was a little bit worse than what it was. We’re just hoping it was a knock to the knee rather than his studs getting caught in the ground. It’s still too soon but we’re not as worried at the moment as we were at the time.”