The MK Dons head coach spoke after his side were thumped 5-1 by West Ham U21s

Paul Warne was livid with his side’s first-half performance in the miserable 5-1 defeat to West Ham U21s on Tuesday night.

The Vertu Trophy clash was effectively wrapped up by the Young Hammers at the interval as they ran in three unanswered goals in a 45-minute spell Warne called ‘horrific’ afterwards.

Showing more signs of life in the second-half, Warne could not forgive the opening, saying: “I’ve been honest with the players - they’ve just wasted 45 minutes of their careers.

“I was embarrassed with our performance in the first-half. I don’t think we pressed with any intensity, we didn’t tackle, make a foul. That’s as far away from a team as I want to witness. I thought we were horrific. We didn’t play with any personality in the first-half and that really disappointed me.

“But in the second-half, I really liked us but that makes me even angrier because they’ve just waited 45 minutes of their careers.”

Asked where he felt his side came up short, he continued: “There was a collective apathy. If you don’t play or tackle, sooner or later the opposition will pick you off and that’s what it felt like. I don’t think we laid a fingerprint on anyone in any way.

“In the second-half, we were a lot more aggressive, and we saw a lot better performances from the players.

“At no time did I think we were in the game. We were on the pitch but not in the game. It’s like we were between a rock and a hard place. We felt a little bit safe, but you’re better off being aggressive, going toe-to-toe to see what the opposition has. I don’t think we had the courage or personality in the first-half to do that. We gave them too much respect.”

While Warne was able to give minutes to several first-team players who have been short of late, there was also a chance for seven academy products to get on the field too. They too though felt Warne’s wrath at the end of the game.

“Unfortunately for them, they’ve seen my teeth at the end there which is all part of the learning curve,” he added. “It’s not all rainbows and unicorns. As a professional athlete, it’s hard and you’re always being measured against other players and teams, there is a pressure to perform.

“It will do them a world of good because there was no grey area afterwards. Everyone got treated the same.”