A young Stevenage side fell to defeat against League One MK Dons at the Lamex on Tuesday.
Tom Soares, captain for the night, limped off in the early stages to be replaced by new signing Craig Mackail-Smith but a Boro side with an average age of just over 21 were always up against it.
Conor McGranville put the visitors ahead on 15 minutes, before Mackail-Smith had a good chance to level after good work from Elliott List, but couldn't beat the Dons keeper Stuart Moore.
List impressed for the hosts and set up further scoring chances, but Jason Cowley was crowded out by Dons defenders and Mackail-Smith headed just wide.
Debutant Jack Smith curled a long-range effort just wide before half time and called Moore into action with a first-time shot after the restart.
Boro continued to pose questions, but conceded twice in the last 10 minutes as Sam Nombe broke to beat debutant Sacha Bastien with a neat finish.
Cowley forced a fine save from Moore, before Nombe again burst through to net his second and the third MK Dons goal of the night.
Boro ended the match with five academy graduates of scholars on the pitch and boss Dino Maamria will now prepare for the League Two trip to Cheltenham on Saturday.
Stevenage: Bastien, Soares, Carter, Cowley, Fielding, Iontton, Watts, Smith, Fernandez, Denton, List. Subs: Farman, Byrom, Kennedy, Rollinson, Georgiou, Mackail-Smith.
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