MK Dons showed plenty of pre-season promise against Championship Reading, despite a 2-1 defeat in Roberto Di Matteo's first game in charge at stadiummk.

Teenage striker Sam Baldock registered his first senior goal for the League 2 Champions, who produced an impressively slick performance against a side playing Premier League football three months ago.

The afternoon was made all the sweeter for Dons fans thanks to the return of Paul Mitchell after 18 months on the treatment table with a badly broken leg.

The Royals' goals came courtesy of wideman Jimmy Kebe and Republic of Ireland international Stephen Hunt, but the major talking point concerned striker Leroy Lita.

The England Under 21 international was spared a red card by referee Phil Gibbs after needlessly reacting to a collision with Sean O'Hanlon in the first half, and was immediately substituted by manager Steve Coppell.

A very competitive game for a pre-season affair, Di Matteo will also have learnt a few things about his squad, not least trialists Florian Sturm and Dean Morgan. Sturm played a part in Baldock's equaliser from wide on the left before dropping to left-back in the second half while Morgan showed some promising touches after his half-time introduction.

Sam Baldock draws the Dons level with a cracking strike.

Reading showed some Premier League class to open the scoring on 17 minutes with a goal of wonderful simplicity.

Clearing into midfield from a Dons attack, Lita sent Liam Rosenior bursting past Dons skipper Dean Lewington and into open space down the right with orange shirts pouring forward in support.

Kebe, having been denied from point-blank range by a brilliant block from Jude Stirling moments before, was among the potential recipients and coolly lifted the ball into the roof of Nathan Abbey's net.

Undeterred by falling behind, the home side kept to the passing game plan Di Matteo has imprinted on them from day one and gave their Championship opponents plenty of cause for concern.

Trialist Florian Sturm holds off Reading's Michael Duberry.

Aaron Wilbraham stung Adam Federici's gloves with a well-struck shot on 24 minutes to give the crowd a lift before Baldock burst into life.

Chasing trialist Sturm's crossfield ball out to the right, the young striker found himself one-on-one with Ivar Ingimarsson but with Bobby Convey coming across to provide cover.

Not a problem for the 19-year-old whippet, who tricked his way inside before curling a brilliant left-footed shot inside the far post.

It brought a huge response from the stadiummk crowd and a beaming smile the face of watching Academy Director Mike Dove - for so long a champion of Baldock's ability.

Wilbraham just managed to reach a Sturm cross from the left minutes later but couldn't quite get high enough to stretch Adam Federici unduly.

Alan Navarro was right back into his stride in the Dons midfield.

It was becoming a competitive game for both sides with the lack of league points at stake resulting in no lack of commitment.

But the competitive spirit boiled over five minutes before half-time when Lita reacted angrily to O'Hanlon's challenge.

In fairness to the Dons defender, Lita was lying prostrate in the penalty area with the ball in play and contact was unavoidable if the clearance was to be made.

After consultation with his assistant, Phil Gibbs opted for yellow rather than red, and Coppell saved any further mishaps by immediately replacing Lita with Kevin Doyle.

With the handbags put away, Baldock was right on Reading's case again just before the break, latching onto a Wilbraham flick and feinting past Michael Duberry before his shot produced a solid, one-handed save from Federici.

Three changes for the Dons at the break took much of the momentum out of the game but there was still plenty to admire, particularly from Leven and Alan Navarro, who already seem on the same wavelength.

Paul Mitchell makes his return after 18 months out with a broken leg.

Mitchell's arrival on 62 minutes brought the biggest cheer of the afternoon, every Dons fan to a man on their feet to greet their returning favourite.

But it was a visiting substitute that made the biggest impact just two minutes later.

Kebe again made decent inroads down the Reading right before cutting a low cross through the Dons penalty area and Hunt had time to take a touch before finishing low into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Substitutes Dean Morgan and Craig Dobson combined well down the right to open Reading up on 69 minutes, but Dobson's stabbed effort from a tight angle was comfortably beaten away by Federici.

Overall an impressive showing from the Dons in their first pre-season friendly, all the more notable given that this was Reading's fourth.

A defeat for Di Matteo in his opening game, but the result will be far from his mind given the way his team played.

MK Dons: Abbey, Regan, O'Hanlon (Howell 46), Stirling, Lewington (Morgan 46), Johnson (Dobson 46), Leven (King 74), Navarro (Mitchell 62), Sturm, Wilbraham, Baldock (Chicksen 62).

Subs not used: Fox.

Reading: Federici, Rosenior, Duberry (Pearce 62), Ingimarsson, Shorey (Kelly 74), Kebe, Harper, Karacan, Convey, Long, Lita (Doyle 41 (Hunt 55)).

Subs not used: McCarthy.

Attendance: 4170 (691 away)