"On another day he gets a couple": Warne on MK Dons' goal-scoring threats
There were plenty of players deserving of a goal for their efforts on Saturday
Goal-scorer Aaron Nemane was not the only one who deserved to find the back of the net in MK Dons’ 2-1 win over Fleetwood Town on Saturday, according to Paul Warne.
While Nathaniel Mendez-Laing netted his fifth of the season in the first-half, Nemane’s thunderous strike after the break came with his final touch as Gethin Jones awaited on the sidelines to replace him.
Nemane put in a strong showing against the Cod Army, particularly in the second-half before making way, and his goal was nothing short of what he deserved, according to the head coach, but there were plenty of other contenders.
“On another day, Gilbs (Alex Gilbey) gets a couple of goals, and Kells (Liam Kelly) was everywhere,” said Warne afterwards. “If we didn’t have a runner in behind, Kells took it on and our midfield worked well.
“Aaron’s second-half performance was unbelievable. I think he plays better when he’s in front of me, it’s my aura! Joe Tomlinson nearly got one as well, both wing-backs were great. They have to play with a lot of energy.”
The man who looked most frustrated at coming off without a goal though was Callum Paterson. The Scot hit the post, had one flicked out of his reach by Gilbey and was just short of Nemane’s cross at the near post, denying him a sixth goal of the campaign.
Warne continued: “When he scored against Salford, I think he only had one touch in the box, and that’s not right. If you want your strikers to score, he’ll also miss, you’ve got to give him three or four chances to let him score. I felt we created more of a threat for him and he definitely deserved a goal.
“He led the line well, and at the end when Kells was cramping, he helped out and ran back.”