Quotes from both managers ahead of Bury versus Dons
Neal Ardley has spoken of his determination to guide AFC Wimbledon through to the second round of the FA Cup, but he expects to come up against a Bury side smarting from a difficult recent run.
Wimbledon will be aiming to replicate a last-gasp League One victory on 18 October at Gigg Lane, Jon Meades heading home the winner, before sliding on his knees on the rain-sodden turf to celebrate in front of 191 travelling Dons.
QUOTES
Neal Ardley:
“For me and clubs like us, it’s still the greatest cup competition. We will give everything we possibly can. We don’t want a replay, but if a replay is the pathway through to the next round we will take it and we will deal with the fixtures as they come. I am desperate to be in the next round and I am sure that the players are.
“David Flitcroft is a good manager. He did a great job getting Bury promoted. I know they’ve had suspensions and injuries and that has coincided with a loss of form, but they will probably be thinking, ‘this is the FA Cup and a break from the league’. The FA Cup can bring the best out of people. We know about the ‘wounded animal’ and all that. We have to go there and make sure we give them as tough a game as we can.”
David Flitcroft:
“It is a difficult one to predict in terms of personnel with the way that Neal goes about his job. The way he has got those boys set-up, they are a very robust team. We know what is going to come at us on Saturday. They’ve had a fantastic set of results over the last 10 games. We know what they are going to be about. Personnel-wise, he could make four or five changes and we will not know that until we get the team sheet at 2.00 pm.
“I told the boys the other day that fighting comes from everyone connected with the football club. We are fighting for the supporters. You are very lucky in football to always have an opportunity to fight for the people who really matter; the supporters, the people who work at the football club, and the town. There are 30 of us, staff and players, who can do that.”
TEAM NEWS
Darius Charles (thigh) and Dominic Poleon (groin) are unlikely to feature for Wimbledon. Dean Parrett is to be assessed in terms of his fitness after a bout of illness.
Bury have a lengthy injury list with Kean Bryant (thigh), Tom Soares (calf), Leon Barnett (calf), Ishmael Miller (hamstring), Chris Brown (knee), Nathan Cameron (knee), Kelvin Etuhu (fibula), Tom Pope (punctured lung/ribs) and Craig Jones (thigh) all out.
LAST MEETING
Bury 1 AFC Wimbledon 2 (18 October 2016)
(Last 6 in league, starting with most recent)FORM GUIDE
AFC Wimbledon LWWDWW
Bury LLLLLL
LAST TIME OUT
Northampton Town 3 Bury 2
AFC Wimbledon 2 Bradford 3
TICKETS
Dons fans can pay on the day (cash only) at turnstiles 1-6 at the following prices:
Adults £10
Concessions (Over-65, Under-23, students) £5
Under-18s £1
MATCH COMMENTARY
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