Kelly earned the right to keep his spot in goal for Walsall win

Michael Kelly made a great save to deny Mo Faal and keep the scores at 0-0

Selection options are plentiful for Mike Williamson at the moment, not least in goal, but Michael Kelly's inclusion in the MK Dons side which beat Walsall 5-0 on Good Friday may have been something of a surprise.

The Irishman was among many to make a mistake during the humbling by the same score line at Stockport a week earlier, allowing the ball to squirm from his grip to allow Callum Camps to open the scoring.

Perhaps more so than his mistake though, the return to fitness of Aston Villa's Filip Marschall potentially signalled the end of Kelly's run in the side. The 20-year-old was brought to the club by Williamson to take over between the sticks, having worked with the head coach at Gateshead on two previous occasions.

Filip Marschall has been back in training for a couple of weeks after injury

Marschall was back on the bench for the trip to Edgeley Park having been out since early February, and was in full training all week in the lead up to the game against Walsall. But Williamson said it was not only Kelly's position under question after the loss to Stockport before praising his Irish custodian after making an important save from Mo Faal with the scores at 0-0.

"I won't talk about selection because things can quickly change," said the head coach. "After losing 5-0, it can be really tough. Sometimes challenges aren't just on the pitch but it shows the solidarity of the group.

"If we were trailing 1-0 to a tough opponent who are extremely physical, who at that stage were stopping us, it proved to be a huge save. That definitely could have changed the game.

"There was always questions about selection, throughout the team, but especially when you're beaten 5-0. I think anyone we would have put out there would have given everything. Everyone is at such a level, and the standard is so high, it's a testament to the boys."