Potter proud of young MK Dons side after late defeat to Reading
The first-team coach spoke after MK Dons’ 1-0 defeat to Reading on Tuesday night
The young MK Dons side should hold their heads high, according to Darren Potter, after coming up agonisingly close against a strong Reading side on Tuesday night in the Vertu Trophy.
Sean Patton’s 88th minute winner, coming after a rare mistake from goalkeeper Connal Trueman, proved to be the difference between the sides at the Select Car Leasing Trophy as the Royals claimed a narrow 1-0 win.
Head coach Paul Warne fielded 12 teenagers during the course of the game in Berkshire, handing full debuts to Domi Revin and Marcel Guzynski, while also handing first appearances to Dylan Fry, Jack Burke, Laike Favier and Ben Nash.
Despite the late heartbreak though, first-team coach Potter said the team had a lot to be proud of.
“It was really frustrating,” he said. “They worked so hard and to concede a goal so late on. They’ve done themselves no end of good. It was a superb performance, coming here and working has hard as they did is fantastic, all credit to them.
“We knew we’d have to give the ball up a lot against Reading, so all the work we did was about being in a good shape and being difficult to beat. In the main, our lads took it to the letter.
“It’s a great experience for the boys and a proud moment for the families too. To see their kids running out in a first-team environment like this is invaluable for them and they should be really proud of themselves.”
The defeat ultimately puts an end to Dons’ chances of progressing in the competition, with their game against Swindon Town next month likely to amount to nothing when they meet at Stadium MK.
Coming after the 5-1 thumping at the hands of West Ham U21s last time out, Potter said it was a dramatically different feel in the dressing room afterwards this time around.
He said: “It was positive before, at half-time and definitely afterwards too, even after the late goal. We were all thinking we were heading to penalties where it is a bit more pot luck.
“It was disappointing to concede as many as we did in the first game, and this was going to be a different test but no less difficult.”