Hereford United 0 Milton Keynes Dons 1 AFTER defeats in his first two Football League matches, neither of which Hereford have deserved to lose, John Trewick is quickly discovering the harsh realities of management.

“I hope I am not going to be an unlucky manager,” he said.

“We deserved something out of the game at Northampton and we have had two terrific chances today midway through the second half when we were playing well and controlling the game.

“Really we should at least have drawn the game and probably won it, so to be caught the way we were was a real blow. But I was encouraged by the performance.

“I don’t think MK Dons created too much. They had a couple of little scrambles around a free-kick but we defended pretty well and created the best opportunities.”

Hereford did indeed have the best of the chances.

After a turgid first-half where neither side showed much interest in winning the game, Hereford created a couple of great openings.

Marc Pugh, who was a constant threat in attack, got around the back of the Dons defence and slid the ball across goal to Steve Guinan.

But the Bulls’ 15-goal top-scorer, who was named as the club’s player of the season before the match, failed to get over the ball as he slid in and the ball flew over the top.

Then Jennison Myrie-Williams evaded goalkeeper Willie Gueret as he raced out to try to clear but, despite being driven out to a wide angle, the on-loan winger elected to shoot and saw his shot cleared off the line.

If he had looked up and tried to pick out a colleague, he would have seen that Guinan and Pugh were both in great positions to score.

“Steve was unlucky; he should have scored, he knows that, but I thought that Jennison should have taken the other one on and picked somebody out,” said Trewick.

“There was nobody near him and it was selfish of him – he should have done it for the team, taken it through and given somebody a tap-in.”

After these chances went begging, the game seemed to be set for a stalemate.

But, four minutes from time, Tore Andre Flo’s flick played in Luke Howell and the midfielder lashed a shot past Peter Gulacsi to ensure that Dons would finish in third place.

The result left Guinan with mixed feelings, despite the fans’ award.

“It is a nice accolade to have, it’s good for the CV and I would like to thank everyone who voted,” he said.

“It’s great for me personally but it’s just sad that it is in a season which has fizzled out and we have got relegated.

“I don’t think there was anything in the game. I missed a good chance and Jennison had a good chance but they have gone up the other end and nicked the game and that is the way the season has gone.”

Hereford: Gulacsi; Gwynne, Rose, Gowling, Taylor; Myrie-Williams, Smith (Jones, 87 min), Diagouraga, Done (Brandy, 82 min); Guinan, Pugh. Subs not used: Veiga, Beckwith, MacLeod.

MK Dons; Gueret; Cummings, Llera, Stirling, Lewington; Chadwick (Regan, 78 min), Leven (Navarro, 70 min), Howell, Wright (Johnson, 52 min); Flo, Baldock. Subs not used: Abbey, Wilbraham.

Referee: Tony Bates (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 3,224 (1,078 from Milton Keynes).

Yellow cards: Hereford – Gowling, foul, 43 min.

Goals: Howell, 86 min, 0-1.