Last-gasp Chesterfield draw 'feels like a defeat', says disappointed MK Dons boss Paul Warne

Warne’s men led 2-0 at half-time after goals from Callum Paterson and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy. But debutant Sam Curtis headed in from Liam Mandeville’s free-kick midway through the second-half and then substitute Will Grigg nodded in Mandeville’s corner with seconds remaining to earn the Spireites a point at Stadium MK on Sunday lunchtime.

The manner of the goals, and the lateness of the equaliser, really irked the home boss. Warne said: “I really liked us in the first-half, I thought we played really well. We were a constant threat. I really liked a lot of our play. I think they went in our box about two or three times. As the game went on, obviously they were 2-0 down so they were making more and more attacking subs. I think both teams were looking tired, I think that is fair to say. However, as a group, we should be better than that. We don’t normally concede off set-pieces and we have conceded off two. All we had to do was see out the corner and we would have got three beautiful and precious points. It would have been a good day at the office in difficult circumstances.

"It is a tough one to take because I thought the lads, apart from the two set-pieces, didn’t do a lot wrong. However, you are judged on those moments and today we definitely came up short. I thought we had moments on the counter-attack and the third goal would have taken it out of their hands but we didn't take it.”

The result leaves both teams in the play-off positions having played 25 matches. Warne added: "I think if they had made it 2-2 on 60-65 minutes and it was a fair result I would have still been disappointed with dropped points but with it being that late on it feels like a defeat. If we are to be successful we have to be better at those moments. For Grigg, who is 5ft 8in or whatever he is, to get in that position and head it in from two yards out is disappointing to say the least – that is the nicest way to put it.”