St Mirren rounded off their pre-season training camp in Spain with a win over English League Two side MK Dons.
First-half goals from Roland Idowu and Alex Iacovitti saw Stephen Robinson's men run out 2-1 winners at the Pinatar Arena this morning.
Alex Gogic was rested entirely, while Liam Donnelly and Declan John missed out with niggles as the manager took no chances in the pre-season stage.
It took just over a minute for Saints to hit the front. Jonah Ayunga rode a challenge from an MK Dons defender and worked his way into the box before playing a ball across to Idowu. The Irishman stumbled under a challenge but retain the ball and composed himself to fire home his third goal of pre-season.
The Buddies had a good chance to double that lead 10 minutes later when a wonderful through ball from Killian Phillips found Ayunga racing clear. But MK Dons goalkeeper Connal Trueman was quickly off his line and did well to block at the edge of the area. As it would happen, Ayunga would find the net. Unfortunately it was his own when he turned in a dangerous cross from Liam Kelly on 17 minutes as Dons drew level.
Saints should have retaken the lead four minutes later when a brilliant delivery from Mark O'Hara's corner found the head of Marcus Fraser, but the defender headed over from close-range.
The Buddies would go back in front, however, just before the interval. O'Hara's cross-field pass found Conor McMenamin who burst forward before seeing his shot blocked, while also arguing he should have had a penalty for a tug. The ball would fall to Ayunga who saw his strike from the edge of the area deflected just over. Iacovitti would meet McMenamin's delivery from the resulting corner and he nodded home at the near post.
Alex Iacovitti scored Saints' second
There were six changes for Saints at the break, while MK Dons changed their line-up for the second 45.
The English side came close to drawing level on 51 minutes when Aaron Collins pounced upon a loose ball deep in the Saints half. Space opened up for the strike as he carried the ball forward, but he dragged it wide of the left-hand post.
Four minutes later, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy wasn't far away when he came in from the left and fizzed a powerful drive just wide of the far post.
There were more changes for Saints with 25 minutes to go with Academy players Billy Hutchison, Thomas Falconer and Evan Mooney joining Luke Kenny, Callum Penman and Fraser Taylor on the park. Another academy prospect, Carrick McEvoy, then entered on 78 minutes as a replacement for Scott Tanser.
Saints would go on to see the game out in another worthwhile exercise for Stephen Robinson's men as the curtain closes on our trip to Spain.
Full-Time: St Mirren 2-1 MK Dons
St Mirren: Urminsky (Mullen 46), Fraser (Kenny 65), Kenny (Smyth 46), Iacovitti (Hutchison 65), Richardson (Penman 46), Phillips (Taylor 46), O'Hara (c) (Mooney 65), Tanser (McEvoy 78), McMenamin (Falconer 65), Ayunga (Mandron 46), Idowu (Scott 46)
