Steve Cotterill believes his players’ discipline was key to their victory over MK Dons.

Shaun Whalley’s second-half goal earned the hosts a narrow win and ended a run of three straight defeats.

“Everyone will enjoy that one and it has been a long time coming and to get a clean sheet added on against an excellent side today is pleasing,” Cotterill said.

“We showed good patience and tactical discipline and I felt we stayed with the game, which we had to, and it is difficult at home.

“We knew they would dominate the ball and would play the way they did, they are a good team that has been together a while and spent money wisely.

“The clean sheet is good, but I won’t get too hung up on that. Some people can do but it isn’t something I am going to do. I have never worried too much about my sides getting clean sheets.

“But it is nice to get them when you don’t score too many goals.

“The goal came from our discipline to be honest and the discipline in our performance and it was a great goal by Shaun.

“It is difficult when you’re at home, but I’m pleased for the lads because they have to carry around mistakes and results from earlier in the season, so I am pleased for them in getting the win.”

Dons head coach Liam Manning, who saw his side suffer a second straight league loss, was left to reflect on “another frustrating afternoon”.

He said: “We took control of it a lot better and we spoke before about making progress from the start of the game.

“We kept control, worked the ball into good areas, but players have to step up and deliver at times, and that isn’t just the forward players, that is everyone all over the pitch.

“We had a lot of final-third entries and balls into the box, but today it was just down to the quality and we didn’t have enough of it today.

“We’ll reflect on it now. We won a few games and there was some hype and now we have lost a couple, so it is about how we respond.

“I was pleased with how we played today, we just had two or three chances that you would back us to take.”