Neal Ardley desperately wanted to be the man to orchestrate AFC Wimbledon’s first ever win over MK Dons, and on an emotional night just off the M1 he delivered.

Goals from Adebayo Azeez, Sean Rigg and Adebayo Akinfenwa in a 3-2 win in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy wrote a new chapter in the Dons history book.

While the result does not put to bed the ill feeling that Dons fans have towards the franchise, it is testimony to how far AFC Wimbledon have come since its conception in 2002.

Twelve years ago the Dons were seven levels below the franchise, but on Tuesday night, the Dons announced that the playing field has finally been levelled.

Ardley’s love for Wimbledon runs to 261 appearances over 11 years as a player, and being thrown in the deep end as AFC Wimbledon boss two years ago.

And while in pre-match interviews he played down the significance of any win over MK Dons, the heart- felt emotion was there for all to see come the final whistle.

“I am Wimbledon through and through, and I desperately wanted to be the first manager to deliver that for the fans because I know how much this means to them,” he said.

“I’m proud to be their manager. I’m so proud to deliver this first win.”

Wimbledon Times:

Defence: Adam Barrett and Andy Frampton close down MK’s Benik Afobe                       Picture: Jane Russell

He added: “Avoiding relegation against Fleetwood two years’ ago after months and months of hard work is the biggest moment of my Dons career.

“I was proud to even get to that point and be in with a chance of staying up. “Tuesday night comes second to that – they are my proudest moments.”

The captain’s armband for the famous win had been handed to Andy Frampton after the defender finally returned from the broken ankle that has kept him sidelined since pre-season.

Ardley said: “It’s great to have Framps back. It’s been a long road back for him from his broken ankle, and I felt he needed the boost of being skipper.

“He was down after a set back a few weeks ago, but I told him after the MK Dons win: ‘When people look back and remember the first time we beat MK, you were captain. That’s where you are in the history books’.”