Coventry beat Dons as Martin returns to the pitch

Russell Martin made his first appearance for MK Dons since he became manager back in November as Dons lost 3-2 to Coventry City at Stadium MK on Saturday.

Following Friday's 6-0 defeat to Norwich, Martin named himself in a young first half side but he got a close look as Coventry took just three minutes to take the lead when Matty Godden tapped home the opener. Callum O'Hare missed a couple of chances before finally beating Laurie Walker to double that advantage on 27 minutes. Jay Bird fired in a wonderful effort five minutes before the break to reduce the arrears, but Godden made it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time to give the Sky Blues control.

Eight changes at the break saw the established first-team restored to the line-up, with Martin returning to the dugout, and it paid off as Kyle McFadzean put past his own keeper to move Dons to within a goal again, though they could not find an equaliser.

With most of the established first team squad having played 24 hours earlier at Norwich, it was a mixed of youth and experience lining up against Coventry, but the most eye-catching name on the team-sheet was that of manager Russell Martin, who laced up his boots for the first time since last October.

But he was at close hand to see his side fall behind after just three minutes when he lost track of Matty Godden, who tapped home Coventry's opener after.

Martin was orchestrating play for Dons as he sat deepest of the back-line, alongside Louis Thompson and skipper for the day Jack Davies, and for a period Dons looked settled and content with possession despite barely threatening the Coventry penalty area.

The League One champions though would flex their muscle though, with Callum O'Hare missing two decent chances before finally making one stick, firing past Laurie Walker on 29 minutes to double Coventry's advantage.

Dons never really looked like getting back into it until five minutes before half time when Jay Bird curled home a beauty as he anticipated a short pass out from Coventry keeper Ben Wilson.

Having forced Walker into a top save just a minute earlier, Godden restored their two-goal advantage just before the break though when he evaded Martin's attention to fire in his second to make it 3-1 at the interval.

There were sweeping changes for Dons at the break as the first-team players who lost at Norwich were brought on.

And it certainly made a difference to the way the team played as the pace picked up dramatically. David Kasumu and Ben Gladwin saw a lot of the ball in the centre of the park, with Baily Cargill and Regan Poole both pushing forwards to give Coventry a bit more of a headache than in the first 45 minutes.

Sam Nombe twice tested keeper Wilson from close range, and played a key role in Dons' second goal as he looked odds on to tap in Poole's 73rd minute cross but for former Dons defender Kyle McFadzean beating his own keeper to reduce the arrears.

MK Dons first half: Walker, Bird, Sorinola, Thompson, Martin, Davies, Freeman, Boateng, Morris, Jallow, Bailey

MK Dons second half: Nicholls, Lewington, Poole, Cargill, Thompson (Trialist A 60), Sorinola (Trialist B 69), Houghton, Gladwin, Kasumu, Morris (Black 69), Nombe