Dons' Under-18s recorded their first victory of 2015 with a 3-1 win against Luton Town at an extremely windy Woughton-on-the-Green on Saturday morning.
Two early goals from Kabongo Tshimanga, who has now scored more than 40 this season for the under-18s, plus a late strike from Aaran Weston helped the home side to a hard-earned win.
Director of Youth Mike Dove made two changes to the side that drew 3-3 with AFC Wimbledon seven days ago, with Adam Hunt and Kyran Wiltshire coming into the side in place of Gedeon Okito and Joe Steele, with Luke Tingey being awarded the captain’s armband in Okito’s absence.
The Dons got off to the perfect start as they were awarded a penalty two minutes in after Tshimanga was brought down inside the box by Hatters keeper Liam Gooch. Tshimanga took the penalty himself and slotted it into calmly into the bottom right hand corner of the goal to make it 1-0.
The hosts doubled their lead just three minutes later after Tshimanga was put through on goal, finishing clinically with a low curling shot into the right side of the goal to make it 2-0.
Luton were beginning to grow into the game and Dons keeper Tom Wyant was forced to be alert on 16 minutes as a free-kick into the box wasn’t cleared and Isaac Galliford hit a shot which Wyant had to tip wide from close range.
The home side were continuing to look lively with Tshimanga a threat every time he had the ball in and around the penalty box and on 33 minutes he hit a fierce shot from a tight angle on the right hand side of the area which the Hatters keeper saved to deny him a first-half hat-trick.
Wyant was called upon again on 40 minutes to save from another Luton shot from inside the box, and from the resulting corner the side from Bedfordshire reduced the arrears as the corner swirled around in the wind before falling to a visiting player who finished from a couple of yards out to make it 2-1.
The Dons had a goal disallowed four minutes into the second half as they looked to extend their lead. A yellow shirt hammered a shot into the net off the underside of the bar after a corner wasn’t cleared, but the effort was chalked off due to offside.
The home side continued their quest for a third goal and it could have come on 73 minutes when an effort from distance by Wiltshire was parried away to Weston, whose follow-up shot could only find the side netting.
With ten minutes remaining, the third, and ultimately clinching, goal came for the Dons as a ball into the box from Adam Hunt was scrambled in by Weston from close range to make it 3-1.
After the match, Director of Youth Dove said: “We made hard work of the game. We started very brightly and were 2-0 up after five minutes.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t recognise where we were in the game because we were slowing it down and showing a lack of tempo.
“We needed to step up and perhaps should have been 4-0 up after 20 minutes. They got a corner late in the half and we didn’t react and I was thinking that the scoreline doesn’t match our possession and what happened.
“The pitch had cut up a lot with all the bad weather last week and it was very windy today so the boys played well considering the conditions. I felt we dominated the match and the scoreline perhaps should have reflected that more.
“Kabongo’s goalscoring record has been phenomenal this season and he showed what he was all about in the first five minutes.
“I did want a bit more from him at half-time because I felt him and Giorgio could have helped out the team a bit more.
“Over the past few games we have been dominant but we have struggled with our finishing. I felt today and last week we could have scored more goals.”
MK Dons (3-1-4-1-1): Wyant: Daffern (Jackson 65), Tingey (capt), Hunt: Hadden: Tilney, Weston, Wiltshire (Owusu 89), Vaughan: Rasulo: Tshimanga.
Subs not used: McCorkell, Furlong.
Booked: Wiltshire 81.
Goals: Tshimanga 2 pen, 5, Weston 80.
Director of Youth Mike Dove made two changes to the side that drew 3-3 with AFC Wimbledon seven days ago, with Adam Hunt and Kyran Wiltshire coming into the side in place of Gedeon Okito and Joe Steele, with Luke Tingey being awarded the captain’s armband in Okito’s absence.
The Dons got off to the perfect start as they were awarded a penalty two minutes in after Tshimanga was brought down inside the box by Hatters keeper Liam Gooch. Tshimanga took the penalty himself and slotted it into calmly into the bottom right hand corner of the goal to make it 1-0.
The hosts doubled their lead just three minutes later after Tshimanga was put through on goal, finishing clinically with a low curling shot into the right side of the goal to make it 2-0.
Luton were beginning to grow into the game and Dons keeper Tom Wyant was forced to be alert on 16 minutes as a free-kick into the box wasn’t cleared and Isaac Galliford hit a shot which Wyant had to tip wide from close range.
The home side were continuing to look lively with Tshimanga a threat every time he had the ball in and around the penalty box and on 33 minutes he hit a fierce shot from a tight angle on the right hand side of the area which the Hatters keeper saved to deny him a first-half hat-trick.
Wyant was called upon again on 40 minutes to save from another Luton shot from inside the box, and from the resulting corner the side from Bedfordshire reduced the arrears as the corner swirled around in the wind before falling to a visiting player who finished from a couple of yards out to make it 2-1.
The Dons had a goal disallowed four minutes into the second half as they looked to extend their lead. A yellow shirt hammered a shot into the net off the underside of the bar after a corner wasn’t cleared, but the effort was chalked off due to offside.
The home side continued their quest for a third goal and it could have come on 73 minutes when an effort from distance by Wiltshire was parried away to Weston, whose follow-up shot could only find the side netting.
With ten minutes remaining, the third, and ultimately clinching, goal came for the Dons as a ball into the box from Adam Hunt was scrambled in by Weston from close range to make it 3-1.
After the match, Director of Youth Dove said: “We made hard work of the game. We started very brightly and were 2-0 up after five minutes.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t recognise where we were in the game because we were slowing it down and showing a lack of tempo.
“We needed to step up and perhaps should have been 4-0 up after 20 minutes. They got a corner late in the half and we didn’t react and I was thinking that the scoreline doesn’t match our possession and what happened.
“The pitch had cut up a lot with all the bad weather last week and it was very windy today so the boys played well considering the conditions. I felt we dominated the match and the scoreline perhaps should have reflected that more.
“Kabongo’s goalscoring record has been phenomenal this season and he showed what he was all about in the first five minutes.
“I did want a bit more from him at half-time because I felt him and Giorgio could have helped out the team a bit more.
“Over the past few games we have been dominant but we have struggled with our finishing. I felt today and last week we could have scored more goals.”
MK Dons (3-1-4-1-1): Wyant: Daffern (Jackson 65), Tingey (capt), Hunt: Hadden: Tilney, Weston, Wiltshire (Owusu 89), Vaughan: Rasulo: Tshimanga.
Subs not used: McCorkell, Furlong.
Booked: Wiltshire 81.
Goals: Tshimanga 2 pen, 5, Weston 80.
