Paul Warne pleased to see MK Dons survive ‘hairy’ finish to beat Shrewsbury

MK Dons boss Paul Warne was relieved to survive a “hairy” finish as his side hung on for a 2-1 win over Shrewsbury.

Scott Hogan put the Dons ahead after only three minutes, heading home at the back post after Alex Gilbey’s flick-on.

The visitors made it two late in the first half as Will Collar stabbed the ball in from close range after Will Brook was unable to hold Aaron Nemane’s low shot.

Shrewsbury pulled one back in the 76th minute, Chuks Aneke driving a wonderful shot into the bottom corner, and Warne endured some anxious moments before his side secured victory.

“We came here for a win,” he said. “Obviously we were low on numbers today.

“I would like to think that we have played significantly better than that and got nothing.

“We have come away from home to a team fighting for their manager and giving everything and we have come away with three points, so I am really pleased.

“I just said to the lads you have taken a good six months off my life!

“I felt like we had a few good opportunities to get to three and then the game would have been over really.

“Two is still precarious if they get one and then an old Dons player bangs one in from 20-odd yards, which is disappointing.

“It made the ending more hairy than it needed to be. I know Craig (MacGillivray) made a save off the corner. He has been excellent, but I think I would have saved it in fairness.

“They ended up just throwing everything forward and, with Chuks up there, it could be difficult, but I thought the lads defended pretty well.”

Shrewsbury boss Michael Appleton said: “We probably gave ourselves to much to do in that first half. It’s a major disappointment to concede as early as we did and the manner that we did.

“They are the type of goals that are really difficult for managers and coaches up and down the country to stomach in a way.

“Free headers in your box that lead to tap-ins, especially four minutes in or whatever it is.

“That was difficult and obviously the second goal was a poor one for them to get a shot off at the edge of the box.

“It was a little bit of luck from their part for it to go through people’s legs and obviously I thought it was a half-decent save to be fair.

“But they’ve got one player in that area at that time, where we’ve got three or four players, yet their player was able to stab it home.

“Massive frustrations at half-time and I think rightly so in terms of they were the only two moments that they had in our box.”