Harvie needs consistency to thrive at MK Dons

Goal-scorer Daniel Harvie's MK Dons career took a big step forwards as he scored the equaliser against Ipswich on Saturday, but it will take another hit next week as he leaves on international duty.

Harvie's career at MK Dons so far has been stuttering, missing the early parts of the season through international duty, and coming in and out of the side since. Returning to the action against Ipswich, Harvie was perhaps lucky not to be sent off in the first half before a brilliant showing in the second saw him net the equaliser as well as have two more great chances to snatch victory for Dons.

He will now miss the next 10 days away on Scotland duty once again though, and it's a source of frustration for manager Russell Martin who believes Harvie needs consistency to continue improving at Stadium MK.

"It's frustrating now to lose him for 10 days on international duty. It's great for him but it's frustrating for us just as he's building momentum with us. But we have to play without him now

"He needs to go away and when he comes back he needs to put in that level of performance again.

"I really believe in him as a player. He has played as lot of football as an orthodox left back, but we're asking him to do something different. It takes time. Physically he has already improved but he has come from a different level, he needs to adjust to his surroundings and our style of play and he needs to believe in himself as much as we do. He was our best player in pre-season, it has just been frustrating for him."

Harvie's goal came 10 minutes into the second period. Making a late break into the penalty area, he was picked out by Lasse Sorensen's deep cross and after taking a touch to compose himself, fired past Tomas Holy in the Town net.

"It was a brilliant finish," Martin continued. "We told him to be more confident in the second half, and he got into some great positions with Scott Fraser playing him in. He linked up in the box really well, and the goal is top class."

Earlier in the game though, Harvie showed his aggressive side when, after a tussle with Ipswich's Luke Chambers, Harvie reacted and sent the captain sprawling to the ground. Martin though dismissed the incident.

He said: "There was a foul on him in the first place by Chambers. He made contact first, he's reacted which he shouldn't but there wasn't much in it. Then the experienced player has made more out of it, but that's part of the game. I think if he was going to book one of them, he had to book both of them.

"If it was that serious, the fourth official would have stopped the game straight away, but that shows the severity of it."