OLDHAM Athletic caretaker manager Pete Wild admitted his side lacked intensity after describing their 2-1 defeat to MK Dons as “like a testimonial match”.

The Latics suffered their second consecutive Sky Bet League Two defeat at high-flying MK Dons to extend their winless run in all competitions to four.

Chuks Aneke gave the hosts the lead in the 14th minute from the penalty spot, before Kieran Agard doubled the promotion-chasers’ lead with another penalty on 65 minutes.

Tom Hamer pulled one back two minutes later but it was too little, too late for the visitors and Wild could not hide his frustration at his side’s failure to test the keeper.

“It was a really strange game and I thought there was no real intensity to it, especially in the first half. It seemed to feel a bit like a testimonial match at times,” he said.

“We just didn’t have any intensity. We started very poorly in the first 15 minutes, we gave the penalty away and then it was always going to be an uphill struggle from there.

“We put the subs on to try and change the game but instead we end up giving a second penalty away and it was always going to be difficult.

“Even though we had periods of dominance we never really tested their goalkeeper.

“I was frustrated with their first penalty because it was never a free kick in the build-up, which the referee gave – I told him what I thought of that at full time.

“We lacked any real conviction in the box all night and if people had been a little braver we may have ended up with a point, which is what we deserved I thought.

The hosts went close to taking the lead through midfielder Ryan Harley inside 12 minutes after a Dean Lewington corner fell to the feet of the former Exeter City man at the edge of the Oldham box, but his curling effort flew inches wide of Daniel Iverson’s right-hand post.

But the first goal soon followed after Christopher Missilou’s clumsy challenge on Lewington inside the box resulted in Aneke slotting home his 14th goal of the season from the spot.

The Latics did grow into the game as the first half progressed and had their first chance on 24 minutes when frontman Urko Vera’s overhead kick forced Dons keeper Lee Nicholls into action.

And Wild’s men went close again just minutes later when Callum Lang’s right-footed effort inside Dons box fizzed inches wide of MK’s left-hand post.

The visitors should have drawn level when Mohammed Maouche’s corner fell to Vera’s feet, but he saw his first-time effort blocked off the MK goal line by defender Russell Martin.

The Latics came out from the break with purpose and were the first to threaten in the second period when Lang’s cutback from the byline found Vera unmarked inside the six-yard box, but the Spaniard’s first-time piledriver was superbly saved by Dons keeper Nicholls.

But despite Oldham’s second-half pressure, it was MK who added a second to make it 2-0 when Agard slotted home from the penalty spot.

It was Alex Gilbey’s lambasting run into the Latics’ box just after the hour that forced Hamer into a last-ditch challenge inside his own box, forcing the referee to point to the spot for a second time.

The Latics responded with a goal of their own to make it 2-1 just moments later when Missilou’s initial strike was saved by Nicholls before Hamer smashed the ball into the Dons’ top left-hand corner, but Oldham were unable to find a late equaliser.

Player ratings

MK Dons: (4-3-1-2): Lee Nicholls, Conor McGrandles, Russell Martin, Joe Walsh, Dean Lewington, Ryan Watson, Baily Cargill, Ryan Harley (David Wheeler 54), Alex Gilbey, Kieran Agard (Jordan Houghton 67), Chuks Aneke (Osman Sow 72).

Subs not used: Stuart Moore, Mathieu Baudry, Lawson D’Ath, Callum Brittain.

Oldham: (4-4-2): Daniel Iverson 6, Thomas Hamer 7, Jamie Stott 8, George Edmunson 6, Johan Branger-Engone 7, Callum Lang 7 (Cameron Dummigan 85 6), Mohamad Sylla 7 (Jose Baxter 62 6), Christopher Missilou 7, Gevaro Nepomuceno 6, Mohammed Maouche 6, Urko Vera 8 (Chris O’Grady 62 6).

Subs not used: Zeus De La Paz, Andy Taylor, Jonathan. Benteke, Rob Hunt.Referee: Antony Coggins 8/10.

Attendance: 5,950.