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| John McCombe Started For Hereford |
Eleven years ago today Hereford played MK Dons at Edgar Street. Here's a lookback.
Wright Result On The Day
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