Neilson urges Dons to shut out cup romance

MKD ons boss Robbie Neilson has urged his team to be professional when everyone tunes in expecting to see nonleague Hyde United cause an FA Cup shock tonight.

Neilson’s Sky Bet League One side travel to Ewen Fields for the televised first- round tie on the 4G artificial pitch without a win in five matches.

Eighth-tier Hyde are unbeaten in 20 Northern Premier League Division One North games and have come through the preliminary ties to reach this stage for the first time since 1994.

Neilson, below, expects his players to remain focused on their own jobs rather than be swept away with the romance of the cup.

“They[ Hyde] are probably the reason the game is on TV and we have to accept that. This is part and parcel of the FA Cup ,” said Neilson .“They look for the smaller teams getting an opportunity to play against the bigger teams, but we’ re going to remain professional. We want to play the bigger teams and have the build- up and the drama that Hyde are getting.”

MKD ons have been training on a local artificial pitch to help get used to the playing conditions at Ewen Fields, which Neilson accepts could be a lot worse. “Sometimes in the FA Cup, you can go to stadiums where the pitch is terrible and there is a horrid gale. At least we know we are going to a good stadium that has a great surface,” he said.