David Martin insists the team will be solely focused on progressing through to the second-round of the Capital One Cup when they play AFC Wimbledon in August.
.mkstadiumKarl Robinson’s side were paired with the Sky Bet League 2 outfit in Tuesday’s first-round draw, meaning for a second time in as many years, the two sides will do battle at
However, goalkeeper Martin told the media in the aftermath of the draw that he has no doubts he and his team-mates will remain focused on the match rather than the occasion.
He said: “It’s one of the biggest games for us in the early part of the season. When the draw was first made, I thought ‘whoa, interesting’ but these are the games you want to play in, and what we play football for.
“We all understand the history and what went on, but we’ve just got to get on with it. Last time, we had two weeks to prepare for the game, so the media went crazy during that time, whereas this time we’ve got nearly two months to let it sink in.”
Martin was a member of the Dons side which beat AFC Wimbledon in the first meeting between the two clubs back in December 2012.
In that match, the 28-year-old, a former Wimbledon player, made a vital save from Steven Gregory’s shot to keep the scores at 1-1 before Jon Otsemobor won the contest with an injury-time finish.
“It was the first time in my career that I was going to bed thinking about the game coming up - normally I hit the pillow and I’m out like a light. But I was thinking about it for three days before hand.
“It was a game that had two great goals, and I made probably the best save of my career.”
The Dons will play AFC Wimbledon in the first-round of the Capital One Cup the week commencing 11th August. Further match and ticket details will be announced in due course on mkdons.com