Adebayo Akinfenwa is desperate to make it third time lucky with AFC Wimbledon after suffering the heartache of two play-off final defeats.
The veteran striker missed a spot kick when Swansea lost the League One play-off final on penalties to Barnsley in 2006, and was again on the losing side when Northampton were beaten 3-0 by Bradford in the League Two final seven years later.
Akinfenwa, nicknamed The Beast , is eyeing what could be his final chance to put things right, but the Dons must first get past through a two-legged semi final against Accrington Stanley , with the first leg at Kingsmeadow on Saturday evening.
He said: “I got to the play-off final twice and lost both, so I'm hoping it's third time lucky, and hopefully I won't be the bad luck charm this time around. Try and try again until you succeed, that's how I see it.
“I was on the bench for both finals, so maybe the gaffer should have me out on pitch for this one! I came on both games, but unfortunately wasn't able to turn around the result.
“I even missed a penalty in the first final. That haunted me for a while, but we don't dwell on the past, we look to the future. It's always nice to get to Wembley, but hopefully this time it will be better if we get there.”
Wimbledon snuck into the final play-off place in the penultimate week of the League Two season, but Akinfenwa has warned their rivals in the end of season lottery that they deserve to be there and will make the most of their chance.
He added: “ It's a massive achievement, but we have unfinished business. This is a unique club, and everybody affiliated with it has put in a lot of work to get it where it is today.
“In house, we knew we had the ability to do it – but we don't want to be there just to make up the numbers, we want to go one step further.”
