MK Dons 1, Yeovil Town 0: Youth and inexperience cost Glovers

Yeovil Town boss Gary Johnson blamed his team's youth and inexperience as they fell to consecutive 1-0 defeats at MK Dons.

The much-fancied hosts dominated possession in the npower League One clash but lacked incision in the final third.

However, it was still sufficient to beat the Glovers who for the second week running lacked inspiration and ideas pushing forward. Charlie MacDonald's second half strike sealed the points, seven days after AFC Bournemouth achieved a similar feat.

Johnson said: "They are still young and inexperienced as a team. They haven't played too many time and this was their second defeat on the trot by a single goal.

"We were in it, we had a good shape, we just gave the ball away too often when we needed to keep it when we needed five or six chances because we certainly had three or four.

"We were found wanting in trying to keep it and they were very good at it, although I didn't think they had more chances."

The manager made two changes to the side defeated by AFC Bournemouth, Gozie Ugwu replacing last week's first half substitute Reuben Reid (calf) and Lewis Young getting his first Yeovil start ahead of Keanu Marsh-Brown.

Norwich City loanee Korey Smith, announced as completing a loan switch on the morning of the game, was named among the replacements.

After a quiet opening, MK Dons' sublime passing game gave them an early upper hand. On 11 minutes ex-Glover Dean Bowditch drove into the box and his shot looped behind off Luke Ayling's boot.

The visitors were unable to clear the subsequent corner and Richard Hinds uncomfortably cleared Bowditch's dangerous cross yards from his own line.

On 23 minutes only the brilliance of Yeovil keeper Marek Stech kept the score goal-less. Daniel Powell's industry on the right allowed Luke Chadwick a shot but despite hitting the target with venom, Stech tipped over the effort.

A Dons corner routine straight from the training ground exposed visiting defensive frailties shortly after the half hour.

The delivery picked out an unmarked Ryan Lowe who only had to connect to trouble Stech. However, he somehow contrived to miss the ball and the Glovers breathed a sigh of relief.

On 36 minutes Byron Webster's abysmal back pass did his stopper no favours but Stech raced out of his box to boot clear fractionally ahead of Chadwick.

Lowe should have buried a chance on the stroke of the break but was denied by Stech's feet, turning on a ball from the left, ten yards out.

Within two minutes of the start of the second period, Yeovil threatened more than they had during the entire of the first half.

Sam Foley headed back Ugwu's cross and James Hayter laid off for Dominic Blizzard to sting David Martin's hands before a combination of defender and post prevented Ayling scoring his first ever senior goal from the corner.

On 63 minutes Young ghosted past two MK Dons men but instead of shooting laid off for Blizzard. With the midfielder not expecting the pass, Foley snapped in to drill wastefully over.

Powell skipped past Ayling on 68 minutes with his sidefoot to substitute MacDonald creating more havoc. The Glovers crowded out the striker before the follow-up was deflected behind.

Stech came to the visitors' rescue on 71 minutes, diving low to his left to brilliantly save Potter's fierce drive when Jon Otsemobor's fine run and cross on the left was narrowly behind his target.

However, the hosts went one better after 75 minutes, beating the offside trap for the first time in the game. MacDonald had the freedom of stadium:MK to meet Dean Lewington's long ball before calmly giving Stech no chance. L Three minutes before time Powell's direct run ended with a sharp one-two with MacDonald and a fizzing curling effort inches above Stech's crossbar.

The scorer had the ball in the net for a second time in time added on but was rightly adjudged offside when receiving Chadwick's nonsensical pass with both players clear.

MATCH STATS

MK Dons (4-4-1-1) - Martin; Otsemobor, MacKenzie (Kay, 13), Williams, Lewington; Powell, Potter, Gleeson, Bowditch (Bullard, 82); Chadwick; Lowe (MacDonald, 66). Unused subs: McLoughlin, A. Smith, Chicksen, O'Shea.

Goal: MacDonald 75.

Booking: Williams (foul).

Yeovil Town (4-4-2) - Stech; Ayling (Marsh-Brown, 77), Hinds, Webster, Ralph; Young, Upson, Blizzard, Foley; Hayter (K. Smith, 61), Ugwu (Reid, 61). Unused subs: Stewart, Ince, Nkumu.

Bookings: Ayling (foul), Ugwu (persistent foul play).

Ref: Carl Boyeson (East Yorkshire).

Att: 7,235.