‘I always wanted to score against the Franchise’ – Matty Stevens on achieving plenty of milestones since AFC Wimbledon switch

BY EDMUND BRACK
edmund@slpmedia.co.uk

Matty Stevens has admitted it was always one of his main goals to score against ‘the Franchise’ after netting in AFC Wimbledon’s 2-0 FA Cup first round win at Milton Keynes on Sunday.

The 26-year-old opened the scoring at Stadium MK just before half-time. Omar Bugiel lifted the ball over the defence for Stevens to smash the ball beyond former Charlton keeper Craig MacGillivray.

Bugiel scored six minutes into the start of the second half to book the Dons’ place in the second round and secure their first win at their bitter rivals since October 2014 in an EFL Trophy tie.

“It was an unbelievable game,” Stevens told the South London Press. “It was probably one of our best performances of the season. We mixed the play up well. We scored two goals and picked up a clean sheet.

“What I want to achieve at this club, and with where I want to go, one of the things you want to do on your list is score against ‘the Franchise’. It was special to do it so early in my Wimbledon career and at their ground as well.”

The Dons defeated Milton Keynes at Plough Lane earlier in the season in League Two, with a goal from Myles Hippolyte and a brace from Callum Maycock securing a routine 3-0 win.

Wimbledon are on a run of three victories against their arch-enemies and have not conceded once.

Stevens said: “I was always thinking how nice it would be to get a goal in the build-up to the game. They still show the highlights of Ronan Curtis’ goal from last year.

“I know that was even bigger with the way the game panned out and scoring with the last kick, but to be involved in the 3-0 earlier in the season and seeing the plaudits Myles and Callum Maycock got, who wouldn’t want a piece of that as a goalscorer?

“We prepared for the best MK side. We thought they were going to come out fast but I said it to the boys yesterday, I honestly felt as though it was a home game.

“Our fans were louder all game. You can look at it because of the way the game was going – we were a lot better team. They had a couple of nearly moments without getting shots away – Joe Lewis made a great block on Alex Gilbey.

“We didn’t give their fans much to sing about. But before the game, all we could hear was our supporters.

“The gaffer told us in the changing room before the game how much it means to the club and the fans – and that there is a history of not bringing fans to the stadium, but they have come out today in good numbers and we want to make them proud.

“That got the boys going and ready to go out there for war.”

Stevens’ strike against the Buckinghamshire-based side took his tally to eight in his first 17 outings in all competitions since joining from Forest Green on a free transfer in the summer.

He also scored his first EFL hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Carlisle.

Wimbledon wanted to sign the striker on loan during the winter window in the 2021-22 season, but he is showing everyone at Plough Lane why he was worth the wait.

“I’ve had a really good start,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of downs in my career with a couple of injuries. The one big one with the ACL has taken me a while to get back to myself and find my feet.

“Coming into pre-season with Wimbledon, everything felt right. I’m back home. I’m one of the closest to the training ground and not far away from the stadium.

“I’ve scored in the league, FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy. I have scored a hat-trick. I’ve scored home and away this season, and now I’ve scored against the Franchise. Everything you would want to do early on as a striker, I have ticked a lot of boxes.

“I want to keep getting those goals. I had a target before I came here, and I told the manager that if I was given the time and minutes, I’d do it. I have proven it before in this league.

“Hopefully, on a team perspective, the goal is to get promoted at the end of the season.”

With Stevens, Bugiel, Joe Pigott and Josh Kelly forming Jackson’s striker options this season, there has become a clear favoured partnership in the 5-3-2 formation.

Bugiel and Stevens have started the last five games – except for the EFL Trophy game against Brighton’s U21 side – picking up nine goal contributions in all competitions during that period.

Stevens said: “The first time I ever met Omar, we go on about it quite a lot because me, him and Jake Reeves car school. I reminded him that during the first game of the season, he was at Sutton, and I was at Forest Green.

“We both scored that day, with Forest Green winning 2-1. I bumped into him at our Christmas party, randomly, at Winter Wonderland.

“I got chatting to him and I thought: ‘I really like this guy.’ We got on quite well.

“Now we’re signed at the same club and we have got a really good relationship off the pitch.

“On the pitch, you can’t ask for much more. He’s very brave and goes up for any 50-50 or header, it doesn’t matter who the player is.

“He runs and works hard. Even if he’s having a bad day, he will run himself into the ground.

“Then you saw against MK, not only did he get an important goal, which sealed the game, but he also played a part in my first goal.

“Omar is a top person and player as well.”

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