Paul Tisdale: We still have plenty to work on

Posted Sunday, August 12, 2018 by PA

Paul Tisdale was happy to settle for substance over style as he watched his MK Dons side snatch a dramatic 1-0 win over Bury.

In his first home game in charge of the Dons, the former Exeter boss saw his patience rewarded as Ousseynou Cisse popped up with a 90th-minute winner to snuff out the Shakers.

Tisdale is in little doubt that his team are capable of plenty more than they showed at Stadium MK but is happy to have plenty to work on as he attempts to guide the Dons back into League One at the first attempt.

“I’m delighted – really, really pleased. I know we weren’t particularly fluent with the ball and we have a lot of work to do in that respect,” said Tisdale.

“The team has showed me a real attitude to play as a team and defend. They’ve shown a lot of resolve and we got a late goal.

“Although we made a lot of mistakes, they weren’t mistakes that led to anything tangible for them.

“My message to the team is that if we defend well and stay in the game, then we’ll always have a chance – and in the end, we got a timely winner.

“I would share as much frustration as anyone because we weren’t clicking and I said that to the players at half-time.

“It’s going to be a lot of work but we have to get results along the way because that’s going to help us.”

Meanwhile, Bury manager Ryan Lowe, whose side are also attempting to find an escape route from League Two this term, reckons that the Shakers shouldn’t be downhearted at being undone at the death.

He said “I can’t fault the lads. They were different class and they showed some excellent football in the first half.

“When you come off the pitch and Paul Tisdale says to you that they didn’t deserve that, then that’s credit to us and our lads.

“We’ve worked all week to try and get a positive result and although I would have been happy with a point, this is a lesson and if we continue to play like that, then we’ll be okay this season.

“We’ll address the lads on Monday morning because they’ve put in a real shift, which is a minimum requirement for us to give your all, with lots of high energy.”

Bury’s Joe Murphy was forced to tip a Jordan Houghton effort onto the crossbar in the first period while the visitors’ Nicky Adams struck the upright with a free-kick.

With time running out, George Williams delivered from the right and midfielder Cisse slid in to snatch all three points for the Dons.