The under-18s let a half-time advantage slip in their final home Youth Alliance merit league match as they lost 5-4 to Bournemouth at Woughton-on-the-Green on Saturday morning.
In an unpredictable and entertaining affair, the Dons took the lead through Connor Furlong in the first half, however the Cherries scored five goals in 19 second half minutes to take what seemed to be a commanding lead.
However, the Dons fought back and despite scoring three goals in 15 second-half minutes courtesy of a brace from Kabongo Tshimanga and another goal from Ben Tilney they ended up on the wrong side of the scoreline in a nine-goal thriller.
The hosts could easily have taken the lead on 31 minutes after an impressive move in which they moved the ball quickly, with Jack Hadden finding Callum Brittain, who saw his shot saved and although the rebound was tapped in, the Dons player who finished was offside.
A minute later, the Dons found the net again and this time it did count as Hadden slid the ball in to Furlong, who turned inside the box, found space and unleashed a fierce shot past the Bournemouth keeper to make it 1-0.
The visitors' first real chance came on 36 minutes as a shot from the edge of the box struck the angle of post and crossbar with Dons keeper Tom Wyant beaten.
The rebound came to another red and black shirt who laid the ball off to a team-mate, however his shot was blocked allowing the hosts to clear the danger.
The Dons, who had the better of the first half, could have doubled their lead just before the break as Hadden turned and hit a powerful shot which cannoned off the left-hand post.
The game turned dramatically after the break as the Cherries started their scoring spree – equalising on 53 minutes after the Dons lost the ball and the Bournemouth number nine found himself away and clear on Wyant’s goal. He slotted it to the keeper’s left to make it 1-1.
Ten minutes later, the team from Dorset completed the turnaround after an impressive individual goal from their number seven, who ran into the box, jinked past a couple of Dons players and struck the ball into the left hand corner of the net from a very acute angle to make it 2-1.
The Bournemouth blitz continued two minutes later as they made it 3-1 when their number 10 produced a good weaving run into the Dons box, and although the initial shot was blocked, the follow-up came to another red and black shirt who finished from close range.
Three minutes later, the Cherries extended their advantage to 4-1 when one of their players won the ball back inside the Dons box and slid the ball under Wyant.
The side from the south coast then scored again in the 72nd minute when, from an initially cleared corner, a shot was firmly driven through a crowded box into the net, making it 5-1.
The hosts began their comeback on 76 minutes with an impressive solo goal from Tshimanga who picked the ball up 20 yards out, beat a couple of Bournemouth players and struck a firm shot which went in off the right hand post to reduce the arrears to 5-2.
Dons pulled another goal back 10 minutes later when a long cross-field ball found Tilney inside the box, who fizzed a half volley across the goal and into the net to make it 5-3.
In stoppage time, the Dons gave themselves real hope when a shot inside the area from Tshimanga was parried into the net by the Cherries keeper Callum Stanton.
Despite a late assault in the five minutes that were added on at the end of the game, the Dons couldn’t force the leveller so they went down to a 5-4 defeat in their final home league game of the season.
After the match, Dons Director of Youth Mike Dove said: “It was a very frustrating day today because we really controlled the game in the first half.
“We got through into the final third on a number of occasions but our finishing was disappointing. We lacked tempo and movement further forward and we could have been two or three up.
“We then had a period midway through the second half where we just crumbled. We felt sorry for ourselves, we didn’t work hard and we found ourselves 5-1 down.
“Then, even more frustratingly, we rediscovered our belief and got back into it but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in a position whereby we were scrabbling late on to try and get something out of the game.”
Reflecting on the season, Dove said: “It has been a different system for us this year with the merit league. We have played different teams but this in this period at the end of the season with a lot going on it has been tough at times. The development aspect has been good this year but there are times when I felt we could have done so much better.”
MK Dons (4-2-1-3): Wyant: Brittain, Tingey, Steele, Okito (capt): Weston (Palmiero 68), Hadden: Furlong (Nombe 77): Owusu, Tilney, Tshimanga.
Subs not used: McCorkell, Jackson, Omar.
Goals: Furlong 32, Tshimanga 76, 90+1, Tilney 86.
However, the Dons fought back and despite scoring three goals in 15 second-half minutes courtesy of a brace from Kabongo Tshimanga and another goal from Ben Tilney they ended up on the wrong side of the scoreline in a nine-goal thriller.
The hosts could easily have taken the lead on 31 minutes after an impressive move in which they moved the ball quickly, with Jack Hadden finding Callum Brittain, who saw his shot saved and although the rebound was tapped in, the Dons player who finished was offside.
A minute later, the Dons found the net again and this time it did count as Hadden slid the ball in to Furlong, who turned inside the box, found space and unleashed a fierce shot past the Bournemouth keeper to make it 1-0.
The visitors' first real chance came on 36 minutes as a shot from the edge of the box struck the angle of post and crossbar with Dons keeper Tom Wyant beaten.
The rebound came to another red and black shirt who laid the ball off to a team-mate, however his shot was blocked allowing the hosts to clear the danger.
The Dons, who had the better of the first half, could have doubled their lead just before the break as Hadden turned and hit a powerful shot which cannoned off the left-hand post.
The game turned dramatically after the break as the Cherries started their scoring spree – equalising on 53 minutes after the Dons lost the ball and the Bournemouth number nine found himself away and clear on Wyant’s goal. He slotted it to the keeper’s left to make it 1-1.
Ten minutes later, the team from Dorset completed the turnaround after an impressive individual goal from their number seven, who ran into the box, jinked past a couple of Dons players and struck the ball into the left hand corner of the net from a very acute angle to make it 2-1.
The Bournemouth blitz continued two minutes later as they made it 3-1 when their number 10 produced a good weaving run into the Dons box, and although the initial shot was blocked, the follow-up came to another red and black shirt who finished from close range.
Three minutes later, the Cherries extended their advantage to 4-1 when one of their players won the ball back inside the Dons box and slid the ball under Wyant.
The side from the south coast then scored again in the 72nd minute when, from an initially cleared corner, a shot was firmly driven through a crowded box into the net, making it 5-1.
The hosts began their comeback on 76 minutes with an impressive solo goal from Tshimanga who picked the ball up 20 yards out, beat a couple of Bournemouth players and struck a firm shot which went in off the right hand post to reduce the arrears to 5-2.
Dons pulled another goal back 10 minutes later when a long cross-field ball found Tilney inside the box, who fizzed a half volley across the goal and into the net to make it 5-3.
In stoppage time, the Dons gave themselves real hope when a shot inside the area from Tshimanga was parried into the net by the Cherries keeper Callum Stanton.
Despite a late assault in the five minutes that were added on at the end of the game, the Dons couldn’t force the leveller so they went down to a 5-4 defeat in their final home league game of the season.
After the match, Dons Director of Youth Mike Dove said: “It was a very frustrating day today because we really controlled the game in the first half.
“We got through into the final third on a number of occasions but our finishing was disappointing. We lacked tempo and movement further forward and we could have been two or three up.
“We then had a period midway through the second half where we just crumbled. We felt sorry for ourselves, we didn’t work hard and we found ourselves 5-1 down.
“Then, even more frustratingly, we rediscovered our belief and got back into it but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in a position whereby we were scrabbling late on to try and get something out of the game.”
Reflecting on the season, Dove said: “It has been a different system for us this year with the merit league. We have played different teams but this in this period at the end of the season with a lot going on it has been tough at times. The development aspect has been good this year but there are times when I felt we could have done so much better.”
MK Dons (4-2-1-3): Wyant: Brittain, Tingey, Steele, Okito (capt): Weston (Palmiero 68), Hadden: Furlong (Nombe 77): Owusu, Tilney, Tshimanga.
Subs not used: McCorkell, Jackson, Omar.
Goals: Furlong 32, Tshimanga 76, 90+1, Tilney 86.
