Under 18 report by Marc Cockram

MK Dons suffered defeat by three well-taken goals against a talented Arsenal team.

The Dons held their own during most of the match but didn't take their chances to score when they came to them.

Arsenal gratefully took theirs through Jay Thomas, who scored a marvellous free kick at the end of the first half, and late second-half strikes from Luke Ayling and Luke Freeman to kill the game off.

Mike Dove's side came into this tough test beaming with confidence after two excellent victories against Southampton and Cardiff City. Dove made two changes from last time out with Charlie Shuter and Sam Collins coming in for Charlie Barnett and Liam Kelly.

The young Dons were very unlucky not to take the lead in the opening minutes of the game when Reis Ashraf played a decent ball in but Ayling's much-needed header denied the lurking Daniel Delderfield.

MK were making Arsenal look decisively ordinary in the opening 10 minutes of the game but could not find the cutting edge in the final third of the field. Their best chance came when Adam Chicksen delivered a terrific ball into area but no one was in the box to get something onto it.

Arsenal wasted the first clear opportunity of the game to take the lead - Rhys Murphy had a clear run on goal but the Arsenal winger scuffed the shot well wide of the post.

The Dons started to build back the momentum they had in the first 10 minutes of the game and finally started to look threatening in the final third of the field - Sam Collins cleverly put his free kick under the wall but it was well watched by the Arsenal goalkeeper Connor Henderson.

An easy chance came to Arsenal's Emmanuel Frimpong to take the lead after Murphy worked hard to cross, giving Frimpong a seemingly easy tap into score, but he skied the ball over the bar.

Frimpong nearly redeemed himself with a glorious ball over the Dons defence for Freeman, who's well-struck volley was excellently saved by Dons 'keeper Kurt Fox.

Dons could have made Arsenal rue those glorious chances - David King whipped in a dangerous ball but Shuter headed just wide before King created his own chance to score when his thunderous long shot went just over the bar.

In the closing stages of the first period the Gunners started to play the game with a much quicker tempo and Dons tried their hardest to match them - Arsenal's Jack Wilshere hitting his shot with venom but it was saved by Fox. The Arsenal youngsters were again close to taking the lead with Thomas's low free kick going through a load of bodies and going just wide of the post.

Thomas had much better luck with his next free kick when he the curled ball past Fox into the left hand post and, because it was the last kick of the half, it gave Arsenal the psychologicaledge going into the second period.

MK Dons nearly made the game level just after half-time when King whipped the ball into the box, but Arsenal cleared it to safety despite a huge goalmouth scramble.

Tom Flanagan went on an uncharacteristic run forward but he nearly pulled it off with a cross into the box that was just cleared to safety by Ayling.

Arsenal started to put on the pressure like they were doing in the closing stages of the first half - Thomas hit a first time shot after a long ball from his defence but it went past the right hand post.

Flanagan then stopped an excellent scoring chance for the Gunners when he stopped Sanchez Watt with a splendid tackle.

Next time Flanagan wasn't so lucky when Watt took it past him however Fox was on hand to help the centre back with a great save as the visitors were again denied.

But Arsenal extended their lead in the 76th minute when Ayling dummied it past two Dons defenders and slotted the ball really well past Fox and inside the left-hand post to make 2-0.

Even though the young Dons were 2-0 down they still showed determination to get back in to the game like they had shown all season- Shuter went close with his fierce shot going over the bar.

Arsenal could have added a third when they caught Dons on the counter attack - Freeman trying an extravagant lob when one-on-one with Fox and the ball soaring over the bar and out for a goal kick.

Ashraf was very close to making it a frantic final few minutes to the game when his cross nearly dropped into the top left hand corner but Arsenal 'keeper Henderson saw it all the way and caught it superbly.

Arsenal rubbed salt into the Dons' wounds by making it 3-0 with the final kick of the game - Freeman controlling the ball with grace and slotting into the net and out of Fox's reach.

The Under 18s' next game sees them face Portsmouth at Woughton on Saturday 12 April.

MK Dons: Fox, King, Thorne, Flanagan, Collins, Chicksen, Shuter, M. Powell (Collins 67), D. Powell, Ashraf, Delderfield