Richie Barker hopes Saturday’s victory – MK Dons’ first at Stadium MK this season – will breed confidence into the group, as they look to rediscover their winning mentality.
The men from MK1 progressed through to the Second Round of the Emirates FA Cup after a 3-2 win over Spennymoor Town, a game in which all three of their goals came inside the opening 15 minutes.
It was the Dons’ first triumph at Stadium MK since March and now Barker is looking for the team to build on the success.
“We’re through to round two which is important and we’ve won at home, which is also important,” Barker told MK Dons PlayerHD after the tie.
“We’re through and hopefully that can breed some confidence, which is going to be needed – hopefully we can continue that winning mentality.”
It was the Dons’ first triumph at Stadium MK since March and now Barker is looking for the team to build on the success.
“We’re through to round two which is important and we’ve won at home, which is also important,” Barker told MK Dons PlayerHD after the tie.
“We’re through and hopefully that can breed some confidence, which is going to be needed – hopefully we can continue that winning mentality.”
“All credit to them, they equipped themselves really well and you could see they were a confident bunch. They gave us a difficult afternoon – a far more nervous afternoon than it should have been.”
“People talk about a two-goal lead being the most difficult but we should have gone on and put the game to bed – if it would have been four then I don’t think they throw everything at us like they did in the end.
“We started the game extremely well but unfortunately we ended up creating a nervous afternoon for ourselves.
Although pleased with the win, there was some frustration that the Dons didn’t make the victory as comfortable as they should have done after a fast start by allowing Spennymoor back into the contest.
“He’s still got plenty to learn and a long way to go but he can only learn through experiences. His recent performances are a testimony to the hard work and effort that he’s put in since he started training with us back in July.”
He continued: “Brandon has had a good week and I’m extremely pleased for him to be on the scoresheet, in the FA Cup as well – I’m not sure how special that is for youngsters these days but I certainly remember my first FA Cup goal and it was important.
“We talked all week about taking their enthusiasm away from the game by having a strong start. With all due respect to Spennymoor, this was their cup final coming here so we knew that would lift them a little bit so it was vital we did start the game well and we did.”
That disappointment aside, there were plenty of positives for Barker & Co to take from the tie, including another fast start as well as a first senior goal for young pro Brandon Thomas-Asante, four days after his hat-trick in the FA Youth Cup.
