The MK Dons head coach was happy but not overjoyed with his side’s performance on opening day

Paul Warne admitted his MK Dons side did not deserve to win, nor lose their opening day clash with Oldham Athletic.

The goal-less draw at Stadium MK - the fourth 0-0 out of five competitive games since Warne took over the reins at MK1 in April - was one distinctly lacking in chances, and only one effort on target all afternoon coming for the visitors in tame fashion.

Speaking afterwards, Warne was pragmatic but felt his side would have to up their game if they are to make hay this season.

“If you don’t win it, don’t lose so in that respect I’m pleased but I’d like better,” he said. “I’m pleased with a clean sheet against a team just promoted. I thought we were good without being great.

“We just didn’t do enough in the final third to make the keeper earn his money. Transporting the ball from end-to-end I thought we were ok, we were pretty competitive, we defended all the long throws which wasn’t easy. At times when they broke, our recovery runs were good.

“There were parts I liked, we just missed the goal. I think if we’d have got one, we’d have had more control. The last 10 minutes were a bit stop-and-start which isn’t what we wanted.”

Newly promoted Oldham brought nearly 1,900 supporters to Stadium MK for the opening day clash, their first in the EFL in three years, and it certainly looked as though Micky Mellon’s side were the happier at full-time as they came away with a share of the spoils.

He said: “I think away from home, you’re always pleased to get a point on the board with a clean-sheet. And they deserved it. They’ve come up a league, they’re testing themselves.

“After ten games, the league will settle down and we’ll see what it really looks like. We have to be better if we want to win games.”