Dons boss on tonight's Coventry tie
has called on his players to rise to the occasion tonight and produce a performance that Wimbledon’s loyal following can be proud of against Coventry.Neal Ardley
Coventry’s superb form in League 1 makes them big favourites for the televised first round FA Cup tie, but Neal is hoping home advantage and a vocal Dons crowd can lift his side to greater heights.
, the Wimbledon manager said: “It is a cup tie under floodlights on television and these are games you want to be a part of. If our players cannot get themselves up for it then they should not be playing football. Also, if our fans cannot enjoy the occasion then they should not be watching football! I am a big believer though that the players need to give the fans something to shout about. Our fans also need to understand that we cannot be gung-ho. They are a very good team and we have to make sure that we do our jobs when we haven’t got the ball.Dons PlayerSpeaking to
“If the opposition are strong I don’t believe we can just plan to match-up against them. Coventry are scoring loads of goals and are a potent attacking force. We have to ensure that we’re aware of their threats and that our players know what they are good at. Then you take that into consideration and look at what we are good at. From a managerial perspective we have covered everything. I just hope that the players on the day produce a really good performance that we can be proud of.
“A winning result that we had last Saturday gives you that spring in your step. It is important though that after one win the players do not forget the focus and the mentality that we had last week before Rochdale. All the words that we put up for successful teams became actions. We will be putting the strongest team out that we can to win the game.”
spot with their potent strike-force of Leon Clarke and Callum Wilson notching 11 goals each.thCoventry are the form team in League 2 with five victories and two defeats in their last seven matches. Following their 10-point deduction, manager Steven Pressley has guided them up to 11
Neal says his own regard for the FA Cup and Wimbledon’s strong traditions in the competition dictate that this match is a big priority.
“I am from an era when the Champions League was second to the FA Cup,” added Neal. “I used to watch the FA Cup Final build-up with my Dad from about 9.00 am in the morning and people getting on the coach to go to Wembley. For a club like us with our history it is a big deal. It is a massive priority. For every League 2 club it means a lot because you are aiming for that dream third round tie.”
The full interviews with Neal Ardley, Alan Bennett and Peter Sweeney featured on Dons Player yesterday.
.Coventry details- Tickets are still available for this match and for more information please click on
to view the item on the official Coventry website.Extra tickets - A total of 250 extra tickets have been made available to Coventry fans for tonight’s match. Please click on
. Press articlefor an article on what the FA Cup means to Alan Bennett, which includes a YouTube video with the experienced centre-back and Peter Sweeney. Peter was yesterday interviewed by a reporter from the Glasgow Herald and this can now be viewed by clicking on Captain's view - Click on