Departed Paul Tisdale believes sending-off was turning point in MK Dons defeat - 7M sport

Departed Paul Tisdale believes sending-off was turning point in MK Dons defeat



Posted Sunday, November 03, 2019 by PA

Departed Paul Tisdale believes sending-off was turning point in MK Dons defeat

Paul Tisdale left MK Dons by mutual consent after their 3-1 home defeat by Tranmere.

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy scored a hat-trick for Rovers and extended the Dons winless league run to nine games.

Dons dropped into the relegation zone following the defeat and the club decided to act and sack Tisdale.

Chairman Pete Winkelman said: “I’d like to place on record my appreciation of what Paul was able to achieve for us, winning promotion from Sky Bet League Two at the first attempt and leaving us in a better position than when he found it.”

Assistant manager Matt Oakley and coaches Danny Butterfield and Mel Gwinnett have also left the club.

The afternoon turned sour for MK Dons and Tisdale when Tranmere took the lead in the 15th minute.

Keiron Morris slotted the perfect cross into the path of Hepurn-Murphy, who tapped home from inside the box.

The Dons levelled when Reeves’ left-footed strike from the edge of the Tranmere penalty area fizzed into the bottom corner – his first Dons goal since making a summer return.

The hosts’ revival was scuppered minutes later when Agard received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Rovers’ Neil Danns.

Micky Mellon’s side retook the lead eight minutes after the break when Hepburn-Murphy raced onto Connor Jennings’ neat through ball before coolly slotting home his second.

The 21-year-old completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute after a neat finish, rounding off a comfortable victory for Rovers and ending their two-game winless league run.

Before he was sacked, Tisdale said the sending off changed the game, he said: “The sending off changed the game completely. I don’t want to make it seem that we’re defending the defeat and I don’t want to do that by talking about refereeing decisions.

“There was a palpable change in atmosphere and confidence when we got the equaliser, but then we get the sending off.”

“The players tried extremely hard and they kept on going until the end.”

Meanwhile, Tranmere boss Micky Mellon was pleased with the result and singled out hat-trick hero Hepburn-Murphy for praise.

He said: “Rushian Hepburn-Murphy has deserved his opportunity – he has been terrific and I am really pleased for him that he took his opportunity.

“He’s a cracking little player, but first and foremost he is a great little lad – he deserved his crack at it today and I am pleased for him that he got a hat-trick.

“We made it difficult for MK Dons and when they went down to ten men our principles never changed and we used our pace to open them up.

“To see the net bulge three times away from home is very nice.

“I am satisfied that we got a really positive result today.”

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