Wilder concentrating on '˜the bigger picture' as Cobblers target promotion

Cobblers boss Chris Wilder and assistant Alan Knill

Wilder was unhappy in the aftermath of the match at stadiummk, feeling his team deserved more than the 3-0 defeat they suffered.

Referee Tony Harrington was widely criticised for his performance in chalking off a Cobblers goal with the score at 0-0, and also awarding the home side two penalties that even Dons boss Karl Robinson admitted should never have been given.

But the FA Cup run is now over, and a positive Wilder is concentrating on maintaining his team’s brilliant league form, starting with Saturday’s clash with a dangerous Morecambe side at Sixfields.

It has been a remarkable season of highs and lows on and off the pitch, and Wilder said: “I think the biggest thing is that this club is alive and kicking.

“To take 7,000 fans to Milton Keynes, supporters of a club going forward, we are disappointed we didn’t get through to round four and that is how far the club has come.

“We have to understand we played a really good team, a really good club with good players, and we fell a little bit short on the night.

“That was partly from our own doing, and partly through we feel a few decisions that went against us on the night.

“But the biggest thing is to look at the club, and look at the bigger picture, look where we are.

“We have had a decent cup run, a memorable day at Coventry that I think will stick in everybody’s heads for a long, long time.

“We have had an interesting afternoon against Northwich Victoria, and we have had two really good games against a Championship club.

“I think everybody in the country was amazed at the amount of supporters we took to Milton Keynes, and they didn’t go down just for a day out, they went to support the team.

“The wanted to show the belief they have in us, and the belief they have in the football club.

“There are a hell of a lot of good things happening at this football club, and we can be proud of what we are doing and how we are going about it, and now we have to really drive it forward on to the next level.

“That is what we are desperately trying to do.”