Disappointing elements for Manning in Dons’ win over Lincoln

MK Dons 2-1 Lincoln City
Liam Manning saw a lot he liked and a lot he didn’t in Dons’ win over Lincoln CityLiam Manning saw a lot he liked and a lot he didn’t in Dons’ win over Lincoln City
Liam Manning saw a lot he liked and a lot he didn’t in Dons’ win over Lincoln City

Though his side moved up to third place in League One with a 2-1 win over Lincoln City on Saturday, MK Dons’ head coach Liam Manning said there were a lot of elements he was disappointed with.

A sloppy opening half-an-hour at Stadium MK saw Dons somewhat lucky not to be 2-0 down, with John Marquis poking Lincoln ahead after eight minutes before Warren O’Hora diverted a cross onto his own crossbar two minutes later.

But O’Hora would come back to help Dons, scoring the winner two minutes into the second half after his centre-back partner Harry Darling had equalised six minutes before the break.

Though Dons proved resolute and tough to break down once ahead, Manning said there Dons made it harder for themselves than they needed to in claiming their fifth win from six matches.

“I'm delighted with so many aspects of the game but also disappointed with certain elements too,” he said. “We've defended well. We probably soak up too much pressure but we looked strong and compact, we dealt with set-pieces well, Jamie (Cumming) took the crosses, and apart from them hitting the bar, I don't remember many chances.

“It was a really tough game. It was not the sort of game we're often associated with but we showed resilience, togetherness, toughness and we found a way to win.

“They started well, and we were sloppy. But you see the group bounce back again and again, and at the start of the second half we started really well, and it shows that response and will to fight.

“The guys know their level and know they can play better than that. They know what they're capable of, and I don't need to tell them. We tried to tweak it a bit for the second half and it worked.”