Warne is pleased with MK Dons' start to the season after win at Barrow

Dons finally ended their wait for a win thanks to second-half goals from Alex Gilbey and Callum Paterson at Holker Street, while extending their unbeaten run under Warne to six games and they are still yet to concede under the head coach.

Paterson’s first goal for the club, coming nine minutes from time and just eight minutes after the skipper’s opener, lifts Dons into the play-off spots at this early stage as one of seven teams on four points, while Crewe, Fleetwood and Chesterfield have made 100 per cent starts to the campaign.

“If you said to me at the start of the season we’d have four points, I’d be greedy and say we wanted six, but today could easily have been a draw too,” said Warne afterwards. “Even that would have been no drama. The more the season goes on, we’ll build better relationships and better understanding of each other.

“Four from two games, I am pleased to be fair. I think we edged it last week too. To get two goals, for Pato to score, we go home chuffed.”

“It’s a hard place to come, they’re well coached and I saw Chesterfield struggle last week too. They’re diligent out of possession, have different shapes for different parts of the pitch. All in all, we leave here really pleased with ourselves.”

He continued: “That second goal really helped because it meant we could relax a little bit more. We changed the shape at the end to hold onto it away from home. So I’m really pleased.

“I think our play deserved the win overall, we created the better chances, we had a couple of really gilt-edged ones, and I wondered if it would be another one of those days.

“I think the lads, after half-time, moved the ball a bit quicker, we were quicker in everything we did. We had a few good passages of play but we were a bit pedestrian and we let them off the hook. The second-half was a bit better, more front footed and aggressive. Sometimes if you play with that edge it pays off.”