AFC Wimbledon will return to the ground they first played after being formed in 2002 for a “romantic” cup tie against Sutton United.

The two sides will meet at Gander Green Lane in the FA Cup Third Round, with Sutton looking to reach the fourth round for the third time in their history.

The teams met in 2002 in a pre-season friendly just weeks after AFC Wimbledon was formed following the controversial move to Milton Keynes.

Dons lost that game 4-0, but were met by a pitch invasion by thousands of ecstatic fans in demonstration of their pleasure of having found a football club to support.

Speaking ahead of the match, Dons manger Neal Ardley said: ““I am a local boy, my parents live not far down the road from Sutton.

I am all up with Sutton’s history, Wimbledon’s history, and the relationship between the two clubs. It’s a romantic draw really.

For the outsiders, there is a nice edge to it as both clubs have got a nice history together. The whole local community; Dad’s friends, brother’s friends, or whoever, are all quite excited by the prospect of this tie. It will be a really evenly matched game.

“We are very desperate to put in a good performance and the FA Cup means a lot to us.”

National League side Sutton pulled off a remarkable upset by knocking out League Two side Cheltenham Town to set up the tie with AFC Wimbledon.

Manager Paul Doswell said: “We feel we’ve got a good chance. It’s on our pitch. Not many teams like to play on our pitch.

“If the team plays to that level they did today and Wimbledon have a bit of an off day then we’ve got a chance.

“They would beat us nine times out of 10 but it’s the one out of 10 that the FA Cup magic is all about."

Fans released a song ahead of the clash with the League One outfit called Back on the Shoebox Terrace Again to mark the occasion.

A fans spokesman said: "This record is a tribute to the extraordinary FA Cup history of Sutton United and brings us bang up to date with the current exploits.

"We are chuffed to be able to get it out in time for the Wimbledon game, which is all set to be a belter in front of a full house.

"The Shoebox Terrace at Gander Green Lane is our ancestral home from home where we congregate to celebrate the three pillars of a civilised society - football, beer and rock and roll."