A benchmark performance for Dons teenager Ilunga

After a promising performance against Leyton Orient, Liam Manning hopes to see more of the same fron Brooklyn Ilunga.

The teenager, who turned 18 last month, made his sixth outing of the season at the Breyer Group Stadium. Like the rest of the side, he made a slow but patient start to the game but burst into life in the second period.

Linking up well with Zak Jules as his inside centre-back, and also with Troy Parrott who pulled wide to the left-flank on occasion, Ilunga made his biggest impression on a Dons game.

And after his bold display against Orient, Manning says he wants to see more of the same in future appearances.

“Brook has shown progress from the first game in the competition,” he said. “He’s a terrific kid with a terrific attitude and the challenge for him now is that we push him to learn the position and the game, and how he imposes his quality on the game.

“We saw it in flashes tonight, but we want it more consistently.”