Many thanks to James for bringing back memories of that famous day, just reading his account of what happened made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, a memorable occasion none of us will ever forget.
MK Dons 2-1 AFC Wimbledon
Gleeson 44’ Otsemobor 90’
FA Cup with Budweiser
Stadium MK
2nd December 2012
That game, the long-awaited game, and the football world spotlight was on Milton Keynes. Everything Pete Winkelman had done was once again being criticised, and that lot were in town for the first ever meeting, the stakes were high and it was going to be edge of your seat stuff, and nobody could have anticipated such a dramatic end to the game.
Once all the media had calmed down, the football began. I must have been no older than 16, It was a surreal game, It felt different, and I think the Dons were almost scared to make a mistake, but Gleeson (pictured above) made no mistake on 44 minutes with a thundering effort into the top right hand corner past Neil Sullivan. The traveling fans and the neutrals for their sins, were stunned the Dons had grabbed the opening goal as the Dons faithful went wild.
AFC Wimbledon didn’t look like scoring until Jack Midson, managed to get on the end of a cross and divert a diving header into the bottom corner past David Martin and AFC celebrated like they’d won the FA Cup ! (They haven’t…. ever).
Just when Dons fans were fearing a replay with the clock expired Zeli Ismail (who is, in my eyes, a hero for this action alone) miss hit a shot and Otsemobor walking away from goal flicked his heal on the end of it, looping it over Neil Sullivan and into the net. We didn’t quite know what had happened at the time or how it went in, but we didn’t care, it was pandemonium in the Cowshed and on the pitch with even Robbo joining in the celebrations. We just knew we had minutes to hold on and hold on we did, the Dons had beaten AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in the first ever meeting, could life be any sweeter.
For just a little bit, we shut the footballing world up and made them sit back and take notice of little old Milton Keynes.
MK Dons Team: David Martin, Jon Otsemobor, Antony Kay, Shaun Williams, Dean Lewington, Stephen Gleeson, Darren Potter, Luke Chadwick, Dean Bowditch, Angelo Balanta, Ryan Lowe.
Subs: Ian McLoughlin, Mathias Doumbe, Charlie MacDonald, Alan Smith, Adam Chicksen, Ibra Sekejja, Zeli Ismail.
Quiz Question
Ibra Sekejja made how many appearances for MK Dons?
A. 6
B. 1
C. 4
Answer from last week: B
