ALI Al-Hamadi believes consistency is the key as AFC Wimbledon prepare to entertain the nation in Monday’s televised FA Cup tie with Ramsgate.
The Dons booked their second round spot thanks to a 5-1 demolition of League One Cheltenham, with Al-Hamadi among the scorers.
That result ended a five-game winless run and began a sequence of more favourable results from Johnnie Jackson’s side.
And Al-Hamadi believes the Cheltenham success proves exactly what Wimbledon are capable of.
He told AFC Wimbledon TV: “It was a good win against a team in the league above.
“That game gave us a bit of confidence after a few poor results beforehand.
“On our day we are capable of beating any team.
“We just need to keep showing that consistency throughout the season.
“I’ve said before – it is going to be a season full of ups and downs, so we just need to keep at it.
“This team is in a really good place. It is just about showing it on a consistent basis which we are working on.”
Wimbledon will be strong favourites to beat non-league Ramsgate, although the Iraqi international is taking nothing for granted with Wimbledon eager to avoid falling victim to an upset in front of the cameras.
Al-Hamadi said: “The game is on TV so it is good for the club, good for the fans.
“It is good for us to showcase what we are about as a club.
“Obviously it is nice for us players as well, don’t get me wrong. I’m looking forward to it.
“With these games it is about not underestimating the opponents and being professional.
“It is different to our standards and on the day we should do our thing and go through to the next round hopefully if everyone is concentrating.”
Fellow attacker James Tilley can’t wait to perform on the national stage and add to his tally of 10 goals so far in all competitions.
He said: “It is a massive game for them but it is a big game for us as well, like every game to be fair.
“They will have some good players, you always get good players in non-league that maybe haven’t had the opportunities to push on.
“We are looking forward to it and it should be a good game.”
Tilley added: “As a kid growing up, the FA Cup was always the big competition.
“I loved watching it growing up and still now obviously we want to go as far as we can in this competition.
“It is a big for this club as well having obviously won it. It is massive for the club and the fans and hopefully we can through many rounds more.”
