AFC Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley has told the world not to define the Dons by their results against the franchise.

Dons went out of the Capital One Cup after a 3-1 defeat near the M1 on Tuesday night, leaving Ardley in philosophical, if disappointed, mood.

While the atmosphere inside the stadium was less tense than the FA Cup battle in 2012, the match was marred by a small pitch invasion by Dons fans after Matt Tubbs converted a last-gasp consolation from the penalty spot.

Ardley said: “The mini pitch invasion was disappointing. Obviously they wanted to celebrate the goal. But it was a minority who have toppled over the edge with their emotion.

“I don’t think there is much malice in it.”

He added: “But we want a cup run, we want to put a smile on the face of our fans.

“But we are not defined by whether we can beat Milton Keynes, we’re defined by what has happened over the past 12 years.”