MK Dons Head Coach Scott Lindsey praised his team for their display against AFC Wimbledon, if admitting disappointment they couldn’t turn one point into three.

Lindsey was pleased with his side’s work against an AFC Wimbledon team that began the day in the play-off positions, with the Dons boss feeling that his side were the consistently brighter looking and that they looked the likelier to come away with the three points.

He said, “I thought we were outstanding. We deserved to win it. I thought we were brilliant and I really liked us today. I felt it before the game in the meeting.

“We were defensively really strong, obviously with our addition, and we played so well. First 25 minutes, we were outstanding – best we’ve played. Of course, they’re going to have a spell in the game – they’re a good side that are in the play-off positions for a reason and they had a spell, kind of, towards the end of the second half.

“But I think that’s going to do so much for us as a football club, that performance, based on needing to turn a corner today. I’m really disappointed we didn’t win it. I really wanted to win it and think we looked like the team that wanted to win it the most, and thought we were brilliant.”

One noteworthy inclusion in the team was Nathan Thompson, who was straight in the starting line-up after signing from Stevenage the day before, and Lindsey, who worked in a coaching staff at Swindon with Thompson in the past, praised his latest recruit for his instant impact.

He said, “He’s an incredible signing for the football club, I’ll tell you that now. We’ve worked really hard to get him. I’ve known Nathan a long time – I worked with him many years ago, 2015, when he was at Swindon and I was one of the coaches there, and he’s incredible in terms of defensive prowess.

“Outstanding performance by him but also, in the locker room, he’s a real culture setter and one of the best I’ve seen. I think he’s an amazing signing for the football club and I think the fans could see out there today how good he is.”

Lindsey also said, “I think the big reason why we keep a clean sheet today is because of Nathan Thompson. He just organises and you can hear him talking throughout the game to both centre halves either side and Jay Williams in front. We crunch the pitch better.

“I think when you’ve got that older head at the back, it calms you down on the ball. So he’s a big reason.”

While MK Dons had issues with creating chances, Lindsey mused that the visitors did a good work in defending them, but said he was happy with the work MK Dons put in against AFC Wimbledon and that it was worthy of unlocking the door.

He said, “I think sometimes you’ve got to give the opposition a bit of credit.

“Sometimes you play against teams that are just very good at defending in the box. I do know our xG would be higher than theirs, which it hasn’t been in the last six or seven games, and I was really keen to get our xG differential in a strong position today because the more you do that, the more likely it is you win games.”

Lindsey also said he felt the team put in a display that the fans could be happy with.

He said, “I think everyone in the stadium could clearly see that we were on it and we were at it today. We worked harder than them and we did everything we could to win that game of football today. I think that’s what I want the fans to feel – that we have a group of players willing to go through the pain barrier for that to happen. We just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net but I thought the performance was top class.”