A late Mark Wright goal allowed The MK Dons to continue their fine recent winning run and keep them clear at the top of the table. The game finished 1-0 to the away side, but the talking point of the game came late in the first half when Steve Guinan was shown red for a poor challenge on Lloyd Dyer.
With Dean Beckwith out injured, John McCombe was handed his first league start, whilst Lionel Ainsworth also returned after fully recovering from his injury that had kept him out of previous games. Kris Taylor came up against his former Walsall team-mate Wright and up front, Leon Knight partnered Aaron Wilbraham.
Hereford looked lively in the opening period although it was Keith Andrews who tried his luck in the first minute, with Wayne Brown easily holding the effort. Theo Robinson chested down a Clint Easton cross, before having a shot blocked by Willy Gueret. A few minutes later, the best chance of the half, and the game, fell to McCombe. Guinan crossed from the left hand side, and Robinson nodded it into the danger area. McCombe waited, and headed towards the corner but a fine diving save from Gueret denied the centre half. Ben Smith's burst from midfield allowed him to test Gueret once more, but again, the goalkeeper denied Hereford. The MK Dons though overcame the early pressure, and took control.
Firstly, Wilbraham shot at Brown after a neat turn, before Alan Navarro picked up the ball in a promising position but he scuffed his shot despite being in a decent position. Drissa Diallo nearly gave the away side the lead when a Dean Lewington cross was allowed to run, and the right back struck back across goal, and inches wide of Brown's post. Danny Swailes also shot wide, before the threatening Andrews' long range shot was held by a diving Brown. Then came the red card. Guinan tried to be clever in the middle of the park, but was dispossessed, and The MK Dons dangerously broke in numbers. Lloyd Dyer sped away, and Guinan recklessly bought him down in the middle of the park. The tackle was high, and the referee immediately dished out his red for the experienced striker.
Being down to ten men meant that the second half would be very tough for Hereford to hold on. The breakthrough nearly came, and should have came, in the opening minutes. Dyer cut in from the right and crossed across goal. Knight pounced, unmarked, and a yard out but could only put the ball the wrong side of the post. After that chance, the game became scrappy, with The Bulls battling hard to deny The MK Dons creating chances, despite their large percentage of possession. Smith ambitiously volleyed off target, before Jemal Johnson was introduced for Knight in a bid to shake up the away attack. Wright had a shot blocked by Taylor before yet more subs were made. Luke Webb replaced the quiet Ainsworth, whilst for The Dons, Bally Smart and Colin Cameron were introduced, with Dyer and Navarro making way.
The subs didn't make much of an impact, with Hereford still battling, and looking decent for the point, until Paul Ince's side finally made the breakthrough. Andrews chipped in the box, Wilbraham headed on, and the ball fell nicely to Wright, in space, and he fired home from close range, to the delight of the 369 away fans. Trevor Benjamin and Simon Johnson made late appearences, after they replaced Smith and Taylor, but it was too little too late for United. Wright could have added another for The Dons in stoppage time, but Brown parried his effort away from danger; J.Johnson also had a half chance but Brown was again equal to it.
The outcome of the game, watched by a pleasing figure of 3936, was the right one at the end of the day. Hereford battled well after the dismissal of Guinan, but even before the red card, MK Dons were creating plenty of chances, and dominating. With tough looking games coming up in the next few weeks; The Bulls will have to pick themselves up quickly. London Road, the home of Peterborough is the next game, where Trevor Benjamin is likely to start against his former employers with Guinan seemingly ruled out.
Hereford: Brown, McClenahan, McCombe, Broadhurst, Taylor (Johnson 90), Ainsworth (Webb 71), Diagouraga, Smith (Benjamin (90), Easton, Guinan, Robinson.
Subs Not Used: Ingham, Rose.
MK Dons: Gueret, Diallo, O'Hanlon, Swailes, Lewington, Wright, Navarro (Cameron 84), Andrews, Dyer (Smart 76), Wilbraham, Knight (Johnson 64).
Subs Not Used: Abbey, Broughton.
Referee: Paul Melin
Attendance: 3936