St Ives Town manager Ricky Marheineke praised his side for their performance against League One opposition yesterday.

The Hunts Post: Jack Higgs on the ball during St Ives Town's fine draw against MK Dons. Picture: HELEN DRAKEJack Higgs on the ball during St Ives Town's fine draw against MK Dons. Picture: HELEN DRAKE (Image: Archant)

Saints drew 1-1 with an MK Dons side, containing half-a-dozen senior players, at ProEdge Westwood Road.

The two teams traded high-class free-kick goals inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour.

Dons hit the front courtesy of Ed Upson, but Jack Higgs soon had an answer with a smart strike of his own for Saints.

Marheineke said: “It was a great workout against top opposition.

“The players showed an excellent understanding of what we want from them out of possession and limited a team possessing some real quality to very few opportunities.

“In possession our boys were brave and moved the ball with real purpose. I didn’t expect us to create the number of chances we did, and it was just a shame we couldn’t find the second goal our performance deserved.”

Marheineke continued to run the rule over former St Neots and Huntingdon man Guy Mailancol as he appeared as a substitute yesterday.

The fixture formed part of a friendly double-header with Saints’ tenants Cambridge City earlier beating a Dons XI 3-0.

Three other local teams were in action yesterday and two of the games ended in familiar scorelines.

Huntingdon Town were 2-1 winners for the second successive Saturday as they beat Cambs League side Chatteris. Ben Colmer and James Seymour hit the goals.

Meanwhile, Town’s fellow United Counties League Premier Division side Eynesbury Rovers were beaten 2-1 for the second time in five days.

Mark Ducket’s men went down to higher-level Barton Rovers at Hall Road despite a 20-yard strike from James Freshwater.

Godmanchester Rovers’ first pre-season fixture ended in a 5-0 defeat at Yaxley following a summer of massive change.