Shea hoping to emulate Beasant

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Monday will be a special occasion for everybody associated with the Dons, who are in the FA Cup third round for the first time since their rebirth in 2002.

Player trials on Wimbledon Common and Combined Counties League football seems an awful long time ago now, though, with the club chasing promotion from League Two and readying themselves for a mouth-watering clash with the Reds.

The Kingsmeadow encounter brings with it memories of the most famous day in Wimbledon’s history, when the Crazy Gang shocked the Merseyside behemoths to win the 1988 FA Cup final.

Lawrie Sanchez scored the decisive goal at Wembley that day, although captain Beasant’s save from a John Aldridge penalty remains the iconic image – one current Dons goalkeeper Shea admits he has yet to see.

“I haven’t seen the save but I’ve heard it is unbelievable,” he said.

“I remember (former AFC Wimbledon manager) Dave Anderson telling me about it when I was about to join.

“He talked me through the whole history of the club and everything, but I haven’t had the chance to see it yet.

“I’ve been meaning to see the Crazy Gang documentary as well, but I don’t have BT Sport. My old man has recorded it for me so I’ve got to go around his and watch it.

“I’ve seen (other) videos, I’ve seen the goal and inside the stadium there are pictures everywhere.

“It was a great day for them. They weren’t expected to win and hopefully we can replicate what they done.”

Beasant will be amongst the 4,800 crammed into Kingsmeadow on Monday and, given his own career started with non-league Edgware Town, he will appreciate Shea’s journey to AFC Wimbledon.

The 23-year-old came through the ranks at Arsenal, where, alongside the likes of Jack Wilshere, he won the 2009 FA Youth Cup against Liverpool.

Shea progressed to the first team and was on the bench for five Champions League matches during the 2012-13 season – what proved to be his last campaign with the Gunners.

The Islington-born ‘keeper was released and dropped into non-league with Harrow Borough, leading him to seriously consider a future out of the game.

“It was getting to that point when I had to think ‘what am I going to do with myself?’,” Shea said.

“I didn’t know. I wasn’t too sure. All I ever wanted to do was play football and to go into non-league it was a shock.”

Thankfully for Shea it all worked out and he calls his time with Harrow the “best thing” he has ever done.

Shea remains thankful to the club and Anderson for helping him get the move back to league football with Wimbledon, for whom he will be the last line of defence against Liverpool.

“It’s going to be a very hard game – not just for me, but the whole team,” he said.

“It is a great game to be a part of. We are in a no-lose situation, really. We’re not expected to win, apart from the pressure we put on ourselves. Hopefully we can put on a show on Monday.”