Milton Keynes Dons star Joe Tomlinson has said that his side is “out for revenge” as they prepare for their derby showdown this weekend.
AFC Wimbledon are set to welcome their bitter rivals back to Plough Lane in the first match since their historic win in March. Ronan Curtis snatched a 94th-minute winner to put a dent in MK’s promotion hopes, ultimately leading to their defeat in the play-offs against Crawley Town.
The game also marks the first game since Pete Winkleman sold the club to Fahad Al Ghanim and his consortium last month. It was the 66-year-old who orchestrated the move of Wimbledon FC to Buckinghamshire, causing the foundation of AFC in the aftermath.
Mike Williamson’s side have had a rough start to a season where they were tipped as title contenders and are currently sat in 15th, beating table toppers Walsall last time out. The South London club are currently higher in the table, having played a game less due to international call-ups.
Joe Tomlinson discussed last season’s game ahead of their trip down the M1, saying his teammates were eager to get their own back. He said (Quotes via MK Citizen): “We want to go back there for revenge, definitely. For the boys who played there last season, it still really hurts. We want to show the fans how much it hurt and deliver the points for them.
“Last season hurt, it was a tough one, but we became stronger for it. We didn’t like it. We had such a great performance at home against them, which was thoroughly enjoyable, but it was the opposite down there.
“We know how important it is for the fans, but we know if we go down there and play our game, it will be a great day for us.”
MK are in the hunt for their first points on the road this season following losses to Colchester United and Salford City. They lost 10 of their 23 away games last season but were eighth overall on the road in League Two.
Wimbledon last lost at Plough Lane against Newport County in March and are currently on a seven-game unbeaten run. This season has seen Johnnie Jackson’s side beat Ipswich Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Colchester United and most recently Fleetwood Town at home.
Tomlinson also suggested that this game could be the impetus to get his team back on track, adding: “Saturday is the perfect game to get us cracking. It has not been the perfect start, but that’s football. We have to deal with it, we still have full belief in the club, squad and the team, and it will be an exciting season.
“We know how good we are, how good some of the performances have been but the results haven’t matched it.
“We know we will dominate in every game, we just have to turn those performances into three points every week.”
Writer’s View
Everybody who watches the EFL knows how big this game is to the fans of both sets of clubs. AFC Wimbledon will be looking to get one over on MK Dons once again following that stoppage-time finish by Ronan Curtis in the last derby. This game means everything to the fans watching so every player will need to be up for it come lunchtime on Saturday.
Milton Keynes have struggled to live up to the pre-season predictions so far and this game has the potential to be make or break for them. A loss at Plough Lane could leave them at most seven points behind the promotion spots come 5:30pm tomorrow and increase the pressure that has been mounting on Mike Williamson. It is certainly early in the season but having four losses already on the cards after six games would be a harrowing start based on the expectations set this summer.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
