The Under-18s suffered a narrow defeat to Peterborough United in their first home match of the FA Youth Alliance Merit League 1 campaign.
The Dons made six changes from the side that beat Stevenage in the FA Youth Alliance League Cup on Tuesday to reach the area final, with Andrew McCorkell, Joe Steele, Oran Jackson, Dom Palmiero, Callum Brittain and Kabongo Tshimanga being replaced by Tom Wyant, Jacob Daffern, Jack Hadden, Kevin Owusu, Connor Furlong and Ben Tilney.
The only goal of the game came just two minutes in after a long ball found visiting striker Jonathan Edwards, who held off a yellow shirt, ran into the box and finished low into the corner of the net. 0-1.
In a match played in damp and cloudy conditions, chances proved hard to come by, although the Dons did see a first time shot from Furlong fly over the crossbar on seven minutes.
The next good chance fell to the side from Cambridgeshire on 16 minutes, as Dons keeper Wyant (pictured) was forced into action to tip a low, driven shot from the edge of the box round the post.
From the resulting corner, the ball flicked off the head of a Peterborough player before clipping the post and going out of play.
The game was becoming increasingly fragmented and clear cut chances dried up until the hour mark when the Dons put together their best passage of play - captain Luke Tingey, however, skied his shot over the bar when the ball came to him inside the box.
Moments later, another good chance came Peterborough’s way as a cross into the box was headed wide from close range.
On 85 minutes, after some neat passing around the penalty area, Kyran Wiltshire and Tilney both had shots from close range blocked during a goalmouth scramble.
Then, just two minutes later, the Dons came even closer when Tilney unleashed a fierce shot from 25 yards out which beat Posh keeper Henrich Ravas, but cannoned off the angle of post and bar before being cleared.
Speaking to mkdons.com after the match, Dons Director of Youth Mike Dove said: “It was a frustrating day because, although we looked good from the kick-off, they got an early goal and then dominated the first half.
“We were poor in the first half and I said that to the boys at half-time – I told them we weren’t matching them from energy and our quality wasn’t great.
“In the second half we played some really good football. Ben (Tilney) hit the woodwork and Jack (Hadden) missed a couple of chances to shoot.
“I think we deserved a draw and if we had scored in the second half, it may have forced Peterborough to change the way they played because they did try and slow the game down.”
Starting XI (4-3-3): Wyant; Daffern, Hunt, Tingey (c), Tilney; Weston, Hadden, Wiltshire; Furlong, Vaughan (Okito 65), Owusu (Nombe 73).
Subs not used: McCorkell (GK), Steele, Palmiero.
Booked: Tingey.
The only goal of the game came just two minutes in after a long ball found visiting striker Jonathan Edwards, who held off a yellow shirt, ran into the box and finished low into the corner of the net. 0-1.
In a match played in damp and cloudy conditions, chances proved hard to come by, although the Dons did see a first time shot from Furlong fly over the crossbar on seven minutes.
The next good chance fell to the side from Cambridgeshire on 16 minutes, as Dons keeper Wyant (pictured) was forced into action to tip a low, driven shot from the edge of the box round the post.
From the resulting corner, the ball flicked off the head of a Peterborough player before clipping the post and going out of play.
The game was becoming increasingly fragmented and clear cut chances dried up until the hour mark when the Dons put together their best passage of play - captain Luke Tingey, however, skied his shot over the bar when the ball came to him inside the box.
Moments later, another good chance came Peterborough’s way as a cross into the box was headed wide from close range.
On 85 minutes, after some neat passing around the penalty area, Kyran Wiltshire and Tilney both had shots from close range blocked during a goalmouth scramble.
Then, just two minutes later, the Dons came even closer when Tilney unleashed a fierce shot from 25 yards out which beat Posh keeper Henrich Ravas, but cannoned off the angle of post and bar before being cleared.
Speaking to mkdons.com after the match, Dons Director of Youth Mike Dove said: “It was a frustrating day because, although we looked good from the kick-off, they got an early goal and then dominated the first half.
“We were poor in the first half and I said that to the boys at half-time – I told them we weren’t matching them from energy and our quality wasn’t great.
“In the second half we played some really good football. Ben (Tilney) hit the woodwork and Jack (Hadden) missed a couple of chances to shoot.
“I think we deserved a draw and if we had scored in the second half, it may have forced Peterborough to change the way they played because they did try and slow the game down.”
Starting XI (4-3-3): Wyant; Daffern, Hunt, Tingey (c), Tilney; Weston, Hadden, Wiltshire; Furlong, Vaughan (Okito 65), Owusu (Nombe 73).
Subs not used: McCorkell (GK), Steele, Palmiero.
Booked: Tingey.
