Several members of the Dons’ first-team squad got a run out at Brackley Town on Thursday night.
Charlie Burns, Harry Hickford, Ben Tilney, Giorgio Rasulo and Tom Hitchcock all got 90 minutes under their belts at St. James’s Park, but they couldn’t prevent the men from MK1 falling to 1-0 defeat.
The Dons made a bright start to the contest and almost took the lead inside the opening minute, but one of the side’s three trialists fired over from 10-yards after being picked out by the right-back – also on trial.
Brackley then threatened through midfielder Stephen Morley, whose half-volley fell off target, before striker Steve Diggin stabbed a near post effort into the side netting from a low cross.
On 23 minutes, Burns pulled off an excellent save to prevent Brackley full-back Eddie Odhiambo’s close-range header from finding the net. Giorgio Rasulo then cleared the resulting corner off the line.
The Dons bounced back with half-chances of their own before the break – Hitchcock agonisingly close to connecting with Sam Nombe’s cross, which would have certainly provided him with a goal-scoring opportunity.
After the re-start, Hitchcock was presented with a shooting chance as the Dons looked to open the deadlock but his low right-footed effort skimmed the post with the Brackley keeper beaten.
Burns then had to be at his best, once again, to prevent the hosts scoring in the 55th minute but he was finally beaten on the hour mark when Diggin latched onto a lofted pass and fired a half-volley into the far corner. 0-1.
Rasulo prevented the home side doubling their advantage on 80 minutes by heading an effort off the line.
STARTING XI: Burns; A Trialist (Weatherhead 73), Kasumu, Hickford, Tilney; B Trialist, Rasulo; C Trialist (Asonganyi 61), Hitchcock, Tshimanga; Nombe (Evans 79).
UNUSED SUBS: None.
The Dons made a bright start to the contest and almost took the lead inside the opening minute, but one of the side’s three trialists fired over from 10-yards after being picked out by the right-back – also on trial.
Brackley then threatened through midfielder Stephen Morley, whose half-volley fell off target, before striker Steve Diggin stabbed a near post effort into the side netting from a low cross.
On 23 minutes, Burns pulled off an excellent save to prevent Brackley full-back Eddie Odhiambo’s close-range header from finding the net. Giorgio Rasulo then cleared the resulting corner off the line.
The Dons bounced back with half-chances of their own before the break – Hitchcock agonisingly close to connecting with Sam Nombe’s cross, which would have certainly provided him with a goal-scoring opportunity.
After the re-start, Hitchcock was presented with a shooting chance as the Dons looked to open the deadlock but his low right-footed effort skimmed the post with the Brackley keeper beaten.
Burns then had to be at his best, once again, to prevent the hosts scoring in the 55th minute but he was finally beaten on the hour mark when Diggin latched onto a lofted pass and fired a half-volley into the far corner. 0-1.
Rasulo prevented the home side doubling their advantage on 80 minutes by heading an effort off the line.
STARTING XI: Burns; A Trialist (Weatherhead 73), Kasumu, Hickford, Tilney; B Trialist, Rasulo; C Trialist (Asonganyi 61), Hitchcock, Tshimanga; Nombe (Evans 79).
UNUSED SUBS: None.
