Stevenage boss Maamria: We made MK Dons ‘second-class citizens’

Stevenage manager Dino Maamria revelled in reducing high-flying MK Dons to “second-class citizens” as his side pulled off a dramatic late victory.

Paul Tisdale’s high-flyers looked on course to surge back to the top of League Two after Rhys Healey and Kieran Agard netted either side of half-time.

But Boro somehow claimed the spoils with two goals in the final six minutes – a turnaround that not even their manager expected them to pull off.

“You talk about the highs and lows of football – it looked as if only one team’s going to win it and then we score,” said Maamria.

“That’s the belief in the team and that’s the third time we’ve come back from behind against good teams.

“MK Dons have shown they’re a good team. They’re at the top of the league and have a top manager.

“I thought we were very good, especially second half. We tore them to pieces I thought.

“They were second-class citizens all game against us, for me.

“One of my big messages to the players is to always stay in the game and something might happen.

“All you’ve got to do is play the next phase and that’s what we did. By staying in the game they gave me the chance to make the subs I needed to make.”

Steve Seddon handed Stevenage a shock lead on 21 minutes, Alex Revell nodding Ben Kennedy’s cross into Seddon’s path to open the scoring.

But the lead lasted less than 10 minutes as Cardiff City loanee Rhys Healey bagged a seventh goal in 13 games with a curling effort.

There was no stopping Agard scoring for his fifth game in a row as he headed home Rhys Watson’s cross in the 68th minute.

With five minutes left defender Scott Cuthbert bundled home from close range before Kennedy grabbed the winner with a minute remaining in normal time with a fantastic free-kick.

Tisdale, who saw Lincoln City leapfrog his side with their earlier draw at Mansfield, felt his side learnt some painful lessons.

Paul Tisdale said: “If we’re going to do well this season then there’s going to be all sorts of challenges we face.

“Stevenage became another challenge and one we just couldn’t see off at the end.

“I’m really disappointed with that because it’s a good experience for us. I’m sure we’ll learn from it but at the moment it doesn’t feel like a lesson we want to learn.

“A draw probably would have been a fair result but at 2-2 with a few minutes left it can go either way.

“I would have expected us to see it out and we didn’t.

“There were mistakes for the goals which we’re not happy with. Even the free-kick, the execution was brilliant but there was a mistake in the lead up.”