Martin enjoyed getting a run-out in Papa John’s Trophy

Josh Martin was happy to get more minutes under his belt for MK Dons, but he was not looking too deeply into the 4-2 defeat against Aston Villa U21s on Tuesday night.

Martin, on loan from Norwich City, has been used sparingly this season, with his only starts coming in the Papa John’s Trophy this term.

Though the 20-year-old was a stand-out in Dons’ ranks at Stadium MK, Villa’s side was packed with first team experience, and their 4-2 victory was somewhat secondary for Liam Manning’s side, who had already booked their spot in the second round.

For Martin, the game gave him valuable minutes and food for thought.

“Tonight is a good run-out for people like myself, the people who haven't been playing,” he said. “It's frustrating to lose but we worked hard and we have to move onto the next one. We'll learn from tonight.

“There was a stage in the first half where we had good control, were dominant and I thought we could go on and score three or four more. Football changes a lot though. It was a good game, it was end-to-end, fun.

“We have to stay positive, believe in ourselves, believe in the way we play, stick together and help one another. We'll go into training on Thursday and lift each other up. Football is a mindset thing, so we'll go into the next game, believe in ourselves and hopefully we'll get the three points.”