MK Dons Under-23s were handed some important minutes on Monday afternoon as they faced Peterborough United Under-23s in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
The friendly enabled a number of players to earn much needed minutes including Brandon Thomas-Asante and Osman Sow who both featured. Elsewhere, Wieger Sietsma and Stuart Moore shared goalkeeping duties, while Rhys Healey, Ousseynou Cisse, Mitch Hancox and Ryan Watson also took to the field.
The first chance of the game fell the way of Watson, he couldn’t keep his volley down and fired over on nine minutes.
Soon after, Peterborough’s keeper pulled off a stunning reactionary save to deny Sam Nombe from close range, who was found unmarked in the box after some good work on the right by Nesbitt.
Peterborough, however, took an early lead when Jamie Walker was alert to an over-the-top pass before slotting underneath Siestma from close range. 0-1.
The visitors soon doubled their lead half-an-hour in when Ivan Toney skilfully beat Jack Hourican-Harvey before delicately curling past Siestma into the back of the net. 0-2.
The deficit was almost reduced two minutes later when Ryan Watson’s header from Ouus Cisse’s cross rebounded off the post.
With Charlie Pattison replacing Hourican-Harvey at the back, it was the Dons who had the first chance of the second half.
It came as a result of some good possession, resulting in Aidan Nesbitt’s volley being tipped over the bar for a corner – the resulting set-piece was cleared by Peterborough.
The Dons continued to dominate the early stages of the second-half when Nombe beat the offside trap to reach Hancox’s perfectly weighted pass before his strike smashed off the post.
Rhys Healey was next to try his luck his looping header went agonisingly wide of the far post.
The creativity of Marcus Maddison created Posh’s third of the game. The winger created space on the right wing before picking out the run of Buckley-Ricketts at the far-post - he prodded home from six-yards out. 0-3.
Having replaced Sam Nombe on the hour-mark, Osman Sow came within inches of bringing the Dons back into the game.
After some good work from Brandon Thomas-Asante, Sow rounded the keeper before his shot hit the side netting from an acute angle.
Sow once again caused the Posh defence issues when his strength and speed led to his dangerous cross being claimed by the Peterborough keeper at the feet of Healey.
MK Dons XI: Sietsma (Moore, 45); Sole, Hancox, Jackson, Hourican-Harvey (Pattison 45), Nesbitt (Sorinola, 80); Kasumu, Watson (Wright, 75), Cisse; Healey (Thomas-Asante, 65), Nombe (Sow, 60).
