Defender hopes York cup tie can be the start of something
Adam Barrett believes an FA Cup run could build momentum for AFC Wimbledon this season after experiencing the magic of the competition in his Southend days.
The 34-year-old centre-back (pictured) would love another crack at a big club five years after scoring for Southend in an FA Cup tie against Chelsea at Roots Hall.
However, Barrett knows that Wimbledon will need to earn the right for that to be a possibility with an FA Cup replay against York City to negotiate tonight for a chance to face Wycombe Wanderers.
Speaking to Dons Player, Barrett said: “I’ve been lucky enough to get past the third round a couple of times during my career, but the one that sticks out for me is when we drew Chelsea during my Southend days. I can remember the buzz about the place after the draw was made. The phone did not stop ringing and it was just a fantastic occasion for the club and supporters. We scored an equaliser in injury-time at Stamford Bridge to take it to a replay.
"I was lucky enough to score in the replay to put us 1-0 up at Roots Hall, but unfortunately their quality showed in the second-half.It was still a great experience and the FA Cup is magical. When I was growing up the FA Cup was special. It was the main competition that everyone wanted to win. Cup Final day was a big event and you would watch the build-up with your family in the morning.
“I can remember when Wimbledon beat Liverpool. The neutrals all wanted Wimbledon to win, which was fantastic. Obviously, I’m not saying we could go on and win it, but we could get to the third round and get one of the big clubs. That would be fantastic for the club financially and as a player you get to test yourself against the best.”
Barrett says the Dons will need all of the battling qualities that they showed in the 1-0 win against Daggers on Saturday if they are to get the better of York tonight.
“We’re always pleased with a clean sheet and everyone in the team grafted on Saturday,” Barrett added. “It’s not just about the back four and the goalkeeper. If we have not got the players in front of us doing their jobs then it makes life difficult, but everyone dug in on Saturday. The main thing was the three points and now we have to build on that.
“At the moment we seem to find it hard to get that momentum going. We want to get a head of steam up and if we can win tonight then it will give us confidence going into the away game at Oxford on Saturday.
“We cannot be complacent at all against York as they are a different team under Russ Wilcox. He will get them grafting and working hard tonight. We will have to make sure that we’re on our game and work as hard as we did on Saturday.”
to view match arrangements.York TicketsTickets are still left for the game tonight and supporters can pay on the day. Click on
The full five-minute interview with Adam Barrett, along with interviews with Neil Cox and Adam Barrett are on Dons Player.