Liam Manning spoke of his pride in his MK Dons players after their stunning 5-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.
Manning’s Dons put in one of their best performances of the campaign on Saturday as they signed off the regular season in style with a convincing triumph over the Pilgrims, who, prior to the weekend, hadn’t conceded a goal in seven home games.
While it wasn’t enough to secure a top-two finish and automatic promotion to the Sky Bet Championship, Manning hopes it will provide the team with real momentum heading into their Play-Off Semi Final with Wycombe Wanderers.
“The players were terrific,” the MK Dons Head Coach said in his post-match press conference. “I'm so proud of what they achieved.
“We knew what we had to do - we had to control what we could against a really good side.
“The game was really open at the start and you could tell there was a lot riding on it. They had a couple of chances early on but we managed the rest of the game really well after that.
“After that, we were excellent and a constant threat. We played out the game plan really well and we showed discipline and focus to maintain our habits.
“It was all on us because we couldn't control other scores. Late in the game, we found out the scoreline as we had to, but it didn't change anything.”
Manning continued: “We knew about the possible outcomes but we cannot take the emotions or disappointment into Thursday, now. We are prepared for it and we will take all the positives from this into Thursday.
“We always bang on about don't get too high or too low and it's for moments like this.”
The MK Dons Head Coach also reserved praise for Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United manager’s Leam Richardson and Paul Warne for their promotion successes.
“Paul Warne and Leam Richardson have done a terrific job as well, and I offer my congratulations to them for their promotions.”
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Tickets for both legs of the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Semi Finals with Wycombe Wanderers are now on sale.
To book tickets for the First Leg at Adams Park - CLICK HERE!
To book tickets for the Second Leg at Stadium MK - CLICK HERE!
