Liam Manning wants MK Dons to learn lessons from their defeat to Rotherham United.
Manning’s men were beaten 3-0 by the Millers on Saturday at Stadium MK, as they fell to only their second home defeat of the season.
“It was a really difficult one,” Head Coach Manning said in his post-match press conference. “Rotherham are well-organised, physical and intense opposition but we weren't good enough in the attacking box and didn't defend well enough in the other box.
“We have to take a lot out of this one and hopefully we can use it to bring us together and learn - we have to go away, work, improve and get better.
“We're at the start of our journey. We are still learning, but it's about taking these experiences and making sure we get better quickly so when we come up against opposition like this again, we can stand up and come out on top.”
Reflecting on the game itself, Manning added: “The first goal was extremely frustrating because three of them were offside. We knew Rotherham would be extremely difficult to deal with at set-pieces but our guys did the job properly - to be punished that way is an extreme frustration and it had a big impact on the game.
“There were some key moments which just didn't go our way, which were down to a lack of quality of key decisions – if we score before half time with the three chances we had at that corner, it would have been a different game. We had numerous chances but lacked quality.
“I thought we started the second half well and we had a little bit of joy but conceded against the run of play.
“Apart from their set-pieces, they didn't create an awful lot from open play. We knew it would be their biggest threat and we spoke a fair bit about it - that's a frustration.”
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Liam Manning and MK Dons turn their focus to the Papa John's Trophy on Tuesday evening and their final group fixture with Aston Villa U21s.
Tickets for the tie, which will decide the winner of Southern Group C, are priced at £10 adults and £5 under-18s. To purchase tickets CLICK HERE, visit the Box Office at Stadium MK or call 01908 622922.
