Liam Manning was left frustrated with the performance that saw his MK Dons side held to a draw by Fleetwood Town at Stadium MK.
After twice fighting back from a goal down, Manning’s men led 3-2 with two minutes of regulation time to play before a late Daniel strike saw the Cod Army head home with a share of the spoils.
“The overriding feeling is frustration because of the performance rather than the outcome and, of course, when you concede late on it adds to that feeling,” Manning said in his post-match press conference.
“Knowing what we're capable of, and the level we have hit in previous games, we weren't at that tonight. The players in the dressing room know that - the players hold themselves to high standards,
“We have to give credit to Fleetwood - they really frustrated us. Their game plan worked and we played into their hands in the first half. The second half was better - we came out and had a bit more intent.
“We looked a threat throughout - the biggest frustration though is the defensive side. In previous games, although we've been solid in possession, the biggest thing that has got us results is how well we've defended. There were moments when we were too open tonight and the decision making wasn't quite right. We gave away the goals too cheaply.”
Manning added: “For me, I've got to step back and look at the bigger picture. A point isn't the end of the world. We played better against Sunderland and came away with nothing and a point tonight means we're still unbeaten - it's something we can continue to build on.
“Nine games unbeaten is remarkable. It's a case of continuing it, keep pushing and if we learn those little things, we won't make those mistakes over and over again.”
Here is what else Liam Manning had to say in his post-match press conference…
On Scott Twine…
“He's a terrific character. He's such a humble guy, honest and hard-working and he just loves football. Those free-kicks aren't coincidence - he studies them. He puts in a lot of time and energy into doing them so credit goes to him for that, being so dedicated to such a difficult technique. He's been terrific since we joined, he's a constant threat and his quality in attacking areas has been really good. There are areas to look at but he needs to keep pushing, progressing, getting better and delivering, ultimately.”
On David Kasumu and Mo Eisa returning…
“It was great to see those guys back on the pitch again. I hope we'll see them go from strength-to-strength. We've got a lot of people competing for starting spots now so we have to manage match-minutes to keep people sharp.”
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Liam Manning's MK Dons are back on the road this weekend when they take on Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Tickets are priced at £21 adults, £17 seniors/18-24s, £8 12-17s and £5 for those 11 and under.
To purchase tickets CLICK HERE, visit the Box Office at Stadium MK or call 01908 622922.
