Not much to glean from Trophy loss ahead of Boxing Day clash with Swindon

Paul Warne thinks he has probably learned a little more than his opposite number Ian Holloway when MK Dons and Swindon Town crossed paths in the Vertu Trophy.

The Robins were comfortable 4-0 winners at Stadium MK back in November, but from a Dons perspective, it was a dead rubber affair with a team made up predominantly of second-string and academy players.

Swindon meanwhile fielded a strong side to ensure their qualification into the next round, with League Two top-scorer Aaron Drinan bagging a hat-trick in the game.

The sides will cross paths again on Boxing Day, this time in the league with both sides competing at the top end - Swindon are sat second, four points ahead of fifth placed Dons. Warne though does not think the Trophy game will have taught either much about the other, though if anyone has picked up more, it will be Dons.

“Not a great deal, maybe a little bit,” he said when asked whether he learned much. “We played them in the Trophy and they played a lot of their first teamers there.

“You have a rough idea of how they want to play, but in fairness Ian Holloway would have less to learn from that game because we didn’t really play any of our more established players.

“We’ve watched their last three or four games, so we’re well prepared for it. As always though, the best prepared teams win, and if we’ve the best team hopefully we win.”

Speaking about Holloway’s side, Warne continued: “His team this year has been one of the surprises, and I don’t think that’s offensive to say.

“They’re not too dissimilar to us in the fact they are expected to play forwards, run and get in the box. I like watching his teams play, and I know it will be tough.

“He isn’t a manager who would come to our place, sit in and frustrate us. I think it will be a toe-to-toe game, the sort I like managing in.”