Sky Blues get the better of Dons in friendly

Playing at Liberty Way, the home of Nuneaton Town, two Marc McNulty penalties, one in each half, proved the difference in a lacklustre performance from Dons, who handed debuts to Gboly Ariyibi and Ryan Seager, who signed this week.

Dons struggled to settle in the opening half, and it was telling as Lee Nicholls struggled with a couple of earlly clearances, closed down by the eager Marc McNulty.

With Dons struggling to get their foot in the door, it was little surprise when the lively Sky Blues took the lead on 15 minutes. Ousseynou Cisse was caught napping and was beaten the the ball by Liam Kelly, who was upended by Cisse's challenge, gifting McNulty the opener from the penalty spot.

Having only signed hours earlier, Ryan Seager showed what he was capable of when he shook off his marker, but couldn't beat keeper Liam O'Brien with his strike.

Peter Pawlett, playing his first Dons game on British soil, also had a great effort which zipped just over the bar, while the Scot teed up Kieran Agard, who poked the ball wide.

City were clearly the more energetic and eager in the opening 45 minutes, and should really have doubled their advantage when Maxime Biamou was left unmarked to meet Jack Grimmer's cross, only to be denied by a brilliant Nicholls stop.

He could do nothing to prevent Coventry going 2-0 up on the hour mark though, when McNulty doulbed the lead again from the spot after a dubious penalty decision was given in his favour when he fell near Ethan Ebanks-Landell.

With Coventry making a host of changes, and Dons making sporadic adjustments, the game was nothing of a spectacle in the second period. As the weather got increasingly worse, so did the play as both lumped long balls at each other, hoping one would stick.

George Williams, Joe Walsh, Cisse and Ariyibi would be the only players to last the full 90 minutes.

MK Dons: Nicholls (Sietsma 84), Williams, Ebanks-Landell (Downing 84), Walsh, Lewington (Brittain 81), Ariyibi, McGrandles (Trialist 46), Cisse, Pawlett (Thomas-Asante 76), Seager (Bird 60), Agard (Rasulo (84)