ANDY BUTLER wants Town to take up where they left off against Bradford City when football returns to the Galpharm with the visit of MK Dons tomorrow.

While they’ve drawn both their League I games so far, 1-1 at home to Stockport County then 0-0 at Colchester United, Town fired four without reply past their West Yorkshire rivals in the first round of the Carling Cup.

That set up another home knockout derby, with Sheffield United visiting on Wednesday.

But centre-back Butler is fully focused on securing a first three-point haul of the season against former Chelsea ace Roberto Di Matteo’s men.

“The Bradford game was one both the players and supporters enjoyed, and it would be great to put on a similar kind of show tomorrow,” said the 24-year-old former Scunthorpe United man.

“We didn’t play as well as we could in the first half, but in the second, we showed what we are about. At half-time, the manager told us to up things by 15%, and we did that and saw the results.”

Latest arrivals Ian Craney and Liam Dickinson are both in the frame for tomorrow’s game, and Butler believes they will fit in well.

“They’re both great lads, and with both of them boasting good scoring records, they should enjoy getting on the end of some of the many chances we’ve been creating in recent games.

“We’ve kept two successive clean sheets, so there’s a big incentive to make it three, and I’m sure we’ll start to click up front, so there’s every reason to be optimistic.”

MK, promoted under Paul Ince last season, when they did the double of League II title and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, look like being tough opponents, however.

Di Matteo, who took over after Ince left to boss Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, has responded to 2-0 opening-day defeat at Leicester City by piloting his side to 1-0 home wins over Norwich City, in the Carling Cup, and Northampton Town.

Eyebrows were raised when MK chairman Pete Winkelman, the music promoter, appointed Di Matteo, who also played for Lazio and won 34 caps for Italy.

It’s a first managerial role for the 38-year-old, who has brought in former Chelsea teammate Eddie Newton as his assistant.

Winkelman was alerted to the fact that Di Matteo, having completed his UEFA A licence qualification, was looking for his first step into management.

Ince had just six months experience with Macclesfield when he moved to MK, and Winkelman clearly believes Di Matteo could be as much of a success.

As well as Newton, Di Matteo has brought in ex-Great Britain sprinter Ade Mafe, who was also involved with Chelsea, as his fitness coach.

“We’ve known each other for 12 years and gone through a few things as players and coaches,” said Di Matteo of Newton, who had been working with the Chelsea youth team.

“We’ve done our coaching badges together and we have the same philosophy of how football should be played.

“Eddie’s got loads of experience in terms of coaching and me too. Obviously not as much as some managers who have been in the job for 20 years but we’ve got enough.”

Di Matteo made his fifth signing this week in the shape of former French Under 18 international midfielder Flavien Belson from FC Metz, the club which produced Robert Pires and Emmanuel Adebayor.

That could signal the departure of Irishman Keith Andrews, last season’s skipper who has been linked with a switch to Blackburn and was left out of the side against Northampton last Saturday.

Recruited during the close-season by Di Matteo were defender Shaun Cummings, on loan from Chelsea, ex-Austrian Under 21 player Florian Sturm from Swiss club FC Vaduz, fellow midfielder Peter Leven from Chesterfield and striker Ali Gerba from German club FC Ingolstadt.

Gerba played for Canada as they drew 1-1 with Jamaica in a World Cup qualifier in Toronto on Wednesday.

Di Matteo’s squad also includes former Town frontman Kevin Gallen (10 goals in 39 games in 2000-01) and defender Dean Lewington, who was linked with a move to the Galpharm in exchange for Pawel Abbott during the summer of 2006.

Tomorrow’s match will be refereed by Steve Bratt, from the West Midlands.