Not many selection dilemmas facing Lindsey after Dons' Trophy exit

Scott Lindsey said he has made his mind up about this Saturday’s team to face Cheltenham Town based on the showing from his second-string in the defeat to Leyton Orient on Tuesday night.

Beaten 3-1 by the O’s to exit the Bristol Street Motors Trophy at the group stage, Lindsey admitted he was disappointed by what he saw from the opening half-an-hour at Stadium MK, until Callum Hendry’s stunner reduced the 2-0 deficit Orient had built up.

With four wins in a row in League Two sending Dons into the play-off positions of late, the head coach opted for 11 changes to the side to take on their League One opponents, but said based on the performance, his mind has been made up for Saturday.

“I think it is clear what the team looks like this week now,” he said. “We're disappointed to lose because we want to continue winning, it's important. I think it would have been good to stay in this competition, because it would give us the opportunity to give game-time to the boys who aren't playing as much. It's sad for those reasons.

“In the performance, I think we lacked some quality. We played some good moments, had good chances in the second-half, but we lacked quality at times.

“All of their goals were turnovers of possession, and we have to be better. We stuck to our task and showed a good attitude towards the game. We were loose in possession, so we've got to show more quality.”

Hendry’s goal on 32 minutes was a rare moment of brilliance from the hosts though. After a lengthy spell of build-up, which saw every player get a touch, the former Salford man - Dons’ best player on the park - picked out the top corner with a stunning right-footed finish. But it was a moment not seen enough, according to Lindsey.

He said: “It was a really good talking point for me at half-time because I think it was the first time we actually played as a team, but it took half an hour. Pretty much every player in the team had a touch in the lead up to the goal.

“Charlie (Stirland) and Woodie (Albert Wood) did well in the build-up, and it was a really good team goal. But we didn't do it enough, and I'm disappointed we didn't do it enough.

“We pretended to play before that, so we have to do that properly.”