MK Dons bowed out of the Carabao Cup courtesy of a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, which came despite a spirited performance against the Premier League leaders in front of a Club-record crowd at Stadium MK.
A total of 28,521 supporters turned out to watch the Dons take on Jurgen Klopp’s UEFA Champions League winning Reds, who took the lead late in the first half through a long-range strike from James Milner.
Milner then set up the second for Liverpool with 20 minutes to play, delivering a cross for Ki-Jana Hoever to head past Stuart Moore.
The Dons had chances to get on the scoreboard and it would have been nothing less than their performance deserved, but Tisdale’s men still left the pitch at full-time with their heads held high.
Speaking to the national media after the game, the manager was full of praise for his players, with his only disappointed being that they weren’t able to get a deserved goal.
“I’m very proud of the way they played,” Tisdale said in his post-match press conference.
“It was a really good night for football in Milton Keynes. It’s really hard to enjoy it when you’re in the middle of it, but it was a big night for the Club with it being a full house and there was some really good football on display, sometimes from my team which is great.
“I’m disappointed, for them, that we didn’t score a goal because I think we probably deserved one. Whether we deserved to win the game or not is a different matter, but we deserved a goal.
“[We went] too close. I don’t know how their keeper kept out [Jordan Bowery’s header]. Hey, that’s football.”
He added: “I thought it was a really good night and I think most people here would have enjoyed the game.”
MK Dons: Moore, Williams, Walsh, Poole, Gilbey (Boateng 72), Bowery, Dickenson (Martin 46), McGrandles, Brittain, Nombe, Kasumu (Houghton 61).
Liverpool: Kelleher, Lovren, Milner, Keita (Chirivella 63), Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Kane 82), Lallana, Brewster, Jones, Hoever (van den Berg 90+1), Elliottt.
Goals: Milner (41), Hoever (69)
Attendance: 28,521 (6,692 away)