Modest Martin delighted with Cardiff point

While the rain was relentless throughout the game at Cardiff, David Martin's mood wasn't dampened as he made a string of great saves to ensure Dons took a point home with them over the Severn Bridge.
David MartinDavid Martin
David Martin

Keeping out Stuart O’Keefe, Scott Malone and Antony Pilkington to name but a few, Martin helped steer Dons to a 0-0 draw and a vital point at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, prompting Bluebirds boss Russell Slade to brand him man of the match.

“I don’t know about that, but I’ll take it,” said the Dons keeper afterwards. “I enjoyed it today. We limited their chances, though they had two clear-cut ones. Fortunately I was there to make the save.

“In front of me, the boys were magnificent. It was a different MK Dons away today. We’ve done it a couple of times this season, like at Reading and Leeds. You enjoy a clean sheet away from home.”

Dons had a new look defence in front of Martin, with George Baldock returning from his loan spell to start at right back, while Joe Walsh was only making his fourth start for the club alongside Kyle McFadzean at centre half.

And with Dons’ poor away record this season, it made the point all the more important.

“If we do what we did today, we’ll be difficult to beat,” he added. “They had a couple of chances, but away from home, you need to be hard to beat, not playing expansive football.

“We were compact and made them play in front of us. This is how teams tended to play at stadium:mk last season, and it’s tough to break down.

“But it’s all about getting results and putting points on the board.”

It could have been a much shorter afternoon for Martin though had the game been called off at the pre-match pitch inspection.

He said: “When we came on the pitch to warm-up, you could see the machine taking so much water off the pitch. I didn’t think it would be in doubt because when we came out it was fairly dry, but the rain came, particularly in the second half.

“I noticed on the left it was like trying to kick the ball out of a puddle which made it difficult. But they were difficult for both sides.”