Match-winner Ryan McLean still couldn’t quite believe what he’d helped us to achieve, after last night's dramatic win set up a Carabao Cup tie at Chelsea.
Less than a couple of months ago, Ryan was still playing part-time for non-league Hereford and also working in an office. Having come on for his professional debut, he sealed a dramatic turnaround under the lights after Omar Bugiel had equalised against Coventry.
“I couldn’t have asked for it to have gone any better!” said an elated Ryan. “To have scored a goal, got the win and helped us through to the next round - I can’t really explain this, it’s a mad feeling!
“It’s been up and down since I joined Wimbledon. It’s taken me a while to adapt, but I came on and took my chance tonight. When I get the opportunity, I’ve got to do as much as I can to take it.
“I got told to work hard this week. I wasn’t in the squad on Saturday, which was a bit of a kick in the teeth, but that’s football I suppose. A few days later, it’s a completely different story!
“My family attend all my games, but with work they weren’t able to for this one, so that was a bit gutting, but I’ve spoken to them and they’re all buzzing for me.
“We haven’t lost yet. We’re unbeaten in eight games now, if you include pre-season. If you take that into the season – it helps.”
Striker Omar Bugiel equalised for us having come on with just over 10 minutes of normal time remaining, but there was to be no penalty shoot-out against the Championship club.
“We changed the game with the substitutions that we made,” said Omar. “They’d looked comfortable previously with the way they kept the ball.
“I’m very happy to have made an impact, with the first goal changing the atmosphere inside the stadium. Then we pushed on to provide a great goal for Ryan, who came up with a great finish at the back post.
“When I came on, I won my first tackle, which got the crowd going a little bit. Then the ball went out wide to Ryan, who drove on and crossed for me. The gaffer always tells me to get in the box to get my reward - and that’s what happened.
“The ball landed right in front of me, and I’ve got to finish those sort of chances in order to make an impact.”
Both Ryan and Omar praised the man at the other end of the pitch, Nik Tzanev, who picked up the sponsor’s Man of the Match award for keeping us in the game.
“I think he deserved it,” added Ryan. “The save he made at the end kept us in front and that took us through. I think he did really well tonight.
“You’ve got to give credit to Tans as well for keeping us in the game in the first-half. They had three or four chances and he produced some saves when he needed to that kept us in it. The gaffer knows he can rely on everyone here.”
Photos: Ian Stephen (Pro Sports Images).