A look back to fifteen years today and a game at MK Dons in which on loan goalkeeper Matt Murray suffered a serious injury.
Bulls dealt cruel luck at MK
How many clichés do you want?
If
it was a return to sexy football in the first half, the stimulation and
erotica disappeared in the second period as a double dose of bad luck
and a confidence draining three-goal salvo condemned The Bulls to
another away defeat.
Graham Turner had once again shuffled his
pack by providing starts for Kris Taylor in the left back role, Matty
Done on the flank and a striking partnership of Nick Chadwick and Andy
Williams while Simon Johnson replaced the injured Lionel Ainsworth on
the right. United certainly had the best of the first forty-five and
could have been a couple of goals to the good at the break. As early as
five minutes, Williams lifted an effort just over the bar before Kris
Taylor was close with a free kick following Sean O’Hanlon’s clumsy
challenge on Chadwick.
A lot of The Bulls' threat was largely due
to the direct running of Matty Done whose pace frequently troubled the
Don's defence. A Sam Boldock shot sailed wide of Matt Murray’s post
before a most distasteful incident involving Don's defender Miguel Angel
Llera. He had challenged Matt Murray to a cross and Murray had taken a
clean catch and immediately released Done to break quickly on the left.
Llera collapsed to the floor holding his head and the referee blew to
allow treatment. However, as soon as the promising Bulls breakaway was
halted, he got up apparently unhurt and ran back towards his defensive
position. Referee Paul Gibbs rightly cautioned him for unsporting
behaviour and hopefully explained to him that there should be no place
in football for blatant cheating like that.
Toumani Diagouraga
met a Done cross and saw his volley effort go just wide before more good
work down the left produced a chance for Chadwick but the Strikers
hurried attempt was, again just wide. Andy Williams also found himself
through on goal but delayed his shot and Willy Gueret was able to clear.
The half finished goal-less but with Hereford displaying a far more
cultured performance than has been recently seen as they passed the ball
well, retained possession and looked more dangerous and direct going
forward.
Although a refreshed Dons side stepped up the pace from
the start of the second period, United were still looking more than
capable of taking something from the game. However, the double blow was
soon to hit. Firstly, Matt Murray cleared up field and immediately fell
to the ground clutching his knee. Play was stopped by Gueret hoofing the
ball into touch. Jamie "the sponge" Pitman was quickly to the scene and
almost instantly called for a stretcher. Sadly, it may be some time
before we see Matt Murray again. Craig Samson took over and it wasn't
long before he faced a very dubious penalty. Karl Broadhurst had been
adjudged to have raised his foot dangerously high when clearing a ball
that was barely two feet off the ground. Granted, the Dons' Llera had
stooped low but that was hardly Broadhurst's fault. A penalty was
awarded and Broady collected a yellow for doing his job. Samson dived to
his left and got a hand to the ball but Peter Levin's spot kick crept
over the line. The hearts of the travelling fans sank as all the good
work had been undone by two incidents in just four minutes. Five minutes
later, the second goal arrived. Boldock fed the ball in from the right
and Mark Wright was there to beat Samson at the near post.
The
shell-shocked Bulls took a while to get a foothold back in the match but
after a shaky period, the passing started to return and although the
threat of the first period was never really repeated it was good to see
the finer principles of the game being adhered to. Ben Smith grafted
throughout and found time to test Gueret from the edge of the box while
Simon Johnson's shot was wide of the target. Kris Taylor also got
forward to produce a couple of decent attempts but as time went by it
became obvious that despite a great effort and no small amount of skill
this was going to be a first defeat in three at the hands of the
history-lacking Dons. As the game approached the close Jemal Johnson,
who had replaced Mark Wright, beat Samson with a cross shot to give the
home side a somewhat flattering 3-0 victory in front of 7189 including a
creditable couple of hundred representing The Shire.
It was
particularly disappointing to hear that the match sponsors saw fit to
award the man of the match prize to "circus act" Miguel Angel Llera.
Yep, when you're down you don’t get the breaks. See you at Colchester.
MK:
Gueret, Cummings, Llera, O’Hanlon, Regan (Ngala 23), Wright (Johnson
73), Navarro, Levin, Puncheon, Wilbraham (Gerba 68), Baldock, Unused
subs: Abbey, Howell.
BULLS: Murray (Samson 54), Jackson,
Beckwith, Broadhurst, Taylor, Done (Ashikodi 90), Smith, Diagouraga,
Johnson, Williams, Chadwick (Guinan 83). Unused subs: Rose, Easton.
When it rains it pours says Turner
In his
post match interview after last night's game against MK Dons, Graham
Turner expressed his sadness about the injury to on loan keeper Matt
Murray.
"It looks very serious, that has absolutely devastated
the dressing room," said the Hereford United manager whilst talking to
BBC Hereford and Worcester.
"His knee gave way under him and he looks in a bad way, he was fairly upset and it looks very very serious for him.
"That's after a couple of years trying to get back.
"We feel absolutely devastated for him.
"That's the story of the way it's been going. We've had loan players injuried for long time including Lionel on Saturday.
"Things haven't gone our way."
Turner spoke about the transfer situation.
"The
deadline is 5pm Thursday for emergency loans provided you haven't got
any fit goalkeepers at all there is a special dispensation.
"We've got Craig Samson but obviously we have to think in terms of bringing another goalkeeper in.
"But
right at the moment it is a devastating night for us both in terms of
the result and with the events on the field with Matt Murray and Matt
Done with ankle problems.
"When it rains it pours."
Murray out for twelve months
"As he was leaving the field of play he was devastated," said Hereford United manager Graham Turner. "He was almost in tears with the pain and the realisation of what might happen to him.
"Over at the hospital where we saw him a bit later, he had come to terms with it.
"Wolves were fantastic with getting things organised."
Turner was asked if there was a more unlucky footballer in the Midlands.
"Well there might be but I've never met a nicer one and that's all the more reason to feel sorry for him."
Murray had a scan this afternoon and later this week will undergo his fifteenth operation of his career.