It's back to May 2nd 2009 for today's archive article. Hereford United had been in League One but couldn't hit the form of the previous season.
Roll on League Two
Hereford United bowed out of League One with their seventh successive home defeat at the hands of MK Dons, who finish the season in third place and will now face Scunthorpe in the play-offs. Luke Howell scored the only goal of the game with just five minutes remaining to replicate last season's result at Edgar Street in front of 3,224, including 1,078 visiting supporters.
John Trewick took charge of his second Hereford match but this time left out Andy Williams due to the loanee rulings that he had got wrong. With Williams missing, Matty Done replaced him with Marc Pugh starting up front alongside Steve Guinan. The Dons had a host of experience with Tore Andre Flo and Luke Chadwick both having played reguarly in the Premier League whilst they also had their own 'Rory Delap' in Jude Stirling, who specialises in long throw-ins.
The first-half was a tepid affair with little action at either end. United had a good opportunity to take the lead when a pass up the left-wing from Kris Taylor and controlled by Pugh, who span past Spanish defender Miguel Angel Llera before crossing towards the back-post where Jennison Myrie-Williams controlled but his powerful left-foot shot was well held by Gueret. At the other end, a neat dink from Shaun Cummings past a defensive challenge allowed him to send a half-volley past the near-post. Myrie-Williams cut in from the left-hand side and tried his luck but saw his shot was closed down although it appeared to hit an arm; there were strong appeals from the home crowd but the referee waved play on. Peter Leven couldn't hit the target from long-range and it summed up the first-half as it was a poor spectacle and as predicted, was similar to a pre-season friendly in the pace of the game.
Peter Gulacsi again managed to show his potential with a fine diving parry to deny Sam Baldock's 30 yard strike early in the second-half after the highly-rated youngster had controlled and turned from a Chadwick pass. Jemal Johnson replaced former Walsall winger Mark Wright, who had a quiet afternoon. Hereford had an excellent chance to take the lead after Guinan had held the ball up on the half-way line and played a ball down the right-wing; Myrie-Williams chased and beat the challenge of Cummings and 'keeper Gueret who had commited himself and the Bristol City winger cut in from the wing but his shot was cleared off the line by Stirling. On the other wing, Pugh also got to the ball in front of a defensive challenge and he superbly picked out Guinan inside the box but Hereford's top goalscorer put a shot, on the stretch, a foot over the bar for what was arguably United's best opportunity.
MK Dons threatened with the fresh legs of Johnson causing problems and the former Wolves striker burst past Joshua Gowling inside he box before forcing Gulacsi into a close-range block with his legs. Moments later, a cross into the Dons box was cleared up to Baldock on the half-way line who knocked the ball to the right where Johnson picked up and his pace took him 50 yards down field and into the box but a right-foot shot was smothered behind by Gulacsi. The Dons made two subs in quick succession as they rested key players for the upcoming play-off matches; Alan Navarro and Carl Regan replaced Leven and Chadwick respectively.
The visitors started to gain some momentum in their attacking play and after Gowling had conceded a free-kick, a whipped strike from Johnson wasn't dealt with and was eventually clawed behind by the under-pressure Gulacsi. Febian Brandy was introduced for his final Bulls' appearence in place of Done but soon after the change, Milton Keynes snatched the victory. A kick forward from Gueret was flicked on to Baldock who knocked a ball over the back-line and Howell met the ball with an instinctive first-time half volley which looped over Gulacsi and into the net in front of the away supporters. Craig Jones came on for Ben Smith in the closing stages but Hereford failed to muster up any decent chances with Pugh's late header at Gueret from a Guinan cross lacking power.
The result spells the end of Hereford's year in League One and United return immediately to League Two. With only two players under contract for next season, it's expected that there will be a mass overhaul by new boss Trewick. One of his main objectives may be to try and seal deals for loan players Gowling and Pugh, who were the stand out performers on the day. It'll be interesting to see the developments over the forthcoming months but hopefully come August 8th, Hereford will be in a position to challenge for the play-offs at the bare minimum.
Hereford: Gulacsi, Gwynne, Gowling, Rose, Taylor, Myrie-Williams, Diagouraga, Smith, Done, Pugh, Guinan.
Subs: Veiga, Beckwith, Jones, Macleod, Brandy.
MK Dons: Gueret, Cummings, Llera, Stirling, Lewington, Wright, Howell, Leven, Chadwick, Flo, Baldock.
Subs: Abbey, Regan, Navarro, Johnson, Wilbraham.
Reaction from John Trewick who had been appointed manager on April 22nd:
Boss John Trewick spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester after the game: "I hope I'm not going to be an unlucky manager.
"We should have at least drawn the game and probably won it. To be caught the way we were was a real blow. When you look at the game as a whole I don't think MK Dons created too much, they had a couple of little scrambles from a free kick, but nothing really. I thought we defended pretty well.
"We created the best opportunities, you can't do any better than that. OK, Steve's (Guinan) been unlucky with the one. He should have scored, he knows that, but I though Jennison (Myrie-Williams) should have taken the other one on ... given someone else a tap-in. There's nothing we can do about it now."
Trewick again refused to be drawn on decisions over players, or the future of the coaching role he has stepped up from, adding: "I have to decide how much day-to-day work I want to do on the training field, whether I have to let go a bit or continue doing what I'm doing, and that will be a pointer as to whoever comes in to assist."
