Milton Keynes boss Liam Manning has revealed he was left feeling ‘frustrated and disappointed’, after his side missed out on a place in the League One play-off final.
MK lost 2-1 on aggregate to Wycombe Wanderers despite defeating the Chairboys 1-0 in the second leg at Stadium: MK.
However, the 2-0 loss at Adams Park three days before the return match proved to be the hammer blow in their quest to play Championship football.
Full-Time. pic.twitter.com/vBzQx2MquC
— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) May 8, 2022
The defeat means that with 89 points, MK have picked up the second most amount of points in a Third Division/League One season without gaining promotion to the second tier.
The most number of points accumulated without going up was 90 by Sheffield United in 2012.
He told the MK press after the match: “It's a double hit in terms of having two disappointments, but that's life sometimes and that's the game too.
The day belonged to Wycombe Wanderers (PA)
“You have to suck it up and come out tougher on the other side.
“We'll do that as a club, staff and a group of players.
“It hurts tonight but we'll channel it and be better in the future.
“We're frustrated and disappointed obviously, but I also have a sense of pride in how the players applied themselves.
“It's a tough one to take.
“Over the course of the two legs, we created more and better chances than them.
“We were terrific, outstanding tonight but it comes down to having enough quality in and around the box which we didn't.
“It's mixed emotions.
Next stop: Wembley.
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) May 9, 2022
Goodnight!#Chairboys pic.twitter.com/KPvH4rfPUK
“I'm so disappointed for the players because they couldn't have done any more.”
The win on the night was MK’s fourth in a row at Stadium: MK, and their third their home this season.
In fact, out of the five matches they played each other this campaign, Wanderers only won one.
All of the matches Wycombe and MK have played each other this year (Soccerbase)
Yet that one win proved decisive in a potential appearance in a play-off final.
Wycombe will take on either Sunderland or Sheffield Wednesday on May 21.
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