Big win ticks a lot of boxes for MK Dons boss Warne
MK Dons head coach spoke after their 6-0 pre-season win over Hitchin Town
Paul Warne was not going to turn his nose up at a 6-0 win for MK Dons against Hitchin Town on Saturday, with plenty of positive aspects to please the head coach.
Aaron Collins netted a hat-trick inside 12 minutes - with the trio just five minutes apart - to give Dons a flying start to the game, before Nathan Thompson and Jonathan Leko (2), both long-term injury losses last season, added four, five and six in the second-half at Top Field.
In their first pre-season game back on English soil, having lost 2-1 to St Mirren in Spain a week prior, Warne said he was encouraged by not only the scoreline in Bedfordshire, but plenty of elements from his side.
“I’m really pleased,” he said. “I’m not so bothered about the scoreline, but more about performance indicators. Sometimes, when we tried to do the right things and it didn’t come off, the lads pressed to get the ball back.
“It was a good, competitive game and hopefully it will be a regular fixture and we can bring teams here in years to come. It wasn’t a dirty game, we got everyone through with the minutes we wanted, there were some pleasing bits of play. It was a good day at the office really.
“I’ve played these games as a league player and a non-league player and sometimes it’s hard to get yourself up for it, as the ‘bigger team’ but the lads’ attitude was spotless. I want us to be humble, I want us to get after teams and work hard, and that really pleased me.”
Games now come thick and fast for Dons. They take on Brackley Town on Tuesday night before a split schedule sees them face Wealdstone and Doncaster Rovers next Saturday.
Warne continued: “I’d say it was the fun part but as a manager it isn’t. There’s always an anxiety of how the lads will perform, have we got the messaging right, what can we do better? That’s also the stressful part but the enjoyable part too.
“Games now come thick and fast, so we have to get as much fitness and game craft into the lads as possible without any damage.
“We could apply ourselves well again on Tuesday but lose 1-0, so it’s about performance indicators. Are we pressing, are we backing up attacks, are we brave enough? Those are the things we’re looking for in pre-season.”