A rather bizarre own goal wins it for Harrogate Town with MK Dons players booed by their fans, something manager Graham Alexander addresses.
The hosts’ goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray saw his clearance struck Warren O’Hora and bounced in four minutes before the break to give Harrogate all three points in the first league meeting between the two sides.
This results sees Harrogate climb up to 16th in the League Two table, while Milton Keynes Dons fall to 11th.
Calls for the head of Graham Alexander was heard from sections of the home fans, especially after seeing their side have 27 shots, with four on target, while Harrogate had three (all of them on target).
Harrogate’s winner at MK Dons today.
Yeah… pic.twitter.com/p6ZnIHkqFH
— Edward Walker (@edward_w97) September 30, 2023
“Things have changed here in a positive way, but maybe not fast enough,” Alexander said in his post-match interview, as per MK Citizen. “We’re still early in the season. There is a history with clubs who have to come to terms with relegation.
“I think you have to have a bit of honesty too about why you got relegated, and where you are going into the next season. I understand it, I’ve experienced it as a player, and it does bleed into next season and it does take time to get it out of the system.
“We have to give the supporters hope that we’ll change the direction of the club and make sure there are happier times ahead.”
When questioned if the fans’ frustration is a hangover from last season, he said: “Looking as someone who has come from the outside into it, it looks that way. They’ve seen that type of goal go in against them, and sometimes you just think you’re back in it again.
“I’ve been a manager for a long time, a player for a long time – 35 years in the game. Criticism comes, that’s how it is.
“I understand their frustration, and they’ve been frustrated for a while. We thought we’d come out of the spell of getting beaten by the way we started the season. We’ve taken a step back in the last three or four games.
“They buy their tickets, it’s a free country, and people can say how they feel. It won’t change the direction here, it is clear why we’re here and we will continue to go forward.
“Hopefully at the end of the season we’re all smiling together, but there will be bumps along the way.
“I’ve taken a lot of hits over the years, I’ll always come back for more and come out the other side winning.”
MK Dons: MacGillivray, O’Hora (Grant 68), Williams (Leko 68), Gilbey, Harrison (Dean 81), Eisa, Payne, Tomlinson, Ilunga, Harvie, Stewart (Tucker 46).
Subs: Kelly, Robson, Dennis.
Booked: Williams, Alexander, Ilunga, Dean
Harrogate Town: Oxley, Falkingham (Burrell 82), Thomson (J Daly 81), Odoh, M Daly, Folarin (March 65), O’Connor, McDonald, Sutton (Cornelius 75), Ramsay, Gibson.
Subs: Thomas, Muldoon, Foulds.
Goal: O’Hora OG (40)
Booked: Oxley
Referee: M Coy
Twitter users reacted as a bizarre own goal wins it for Harrogate with MK Dons players booed by fans…
@TheWALTPodcast: Just liquidate them already
@GillsKent30: MK Dons. Forever despised.
@joey__burton__: Basically just your average pro clubs game
@harriesdon87: Yeah…… Sums it up
@SWSG19: Great goal 😂😂 couldn’t happen to a nicer business
@DonWindlesham: Ahh, the footballing Gods! 😂
@WycombeDJ: Couldnt have happened to a nicer team and owner
@WombleOnTour:
I’ve watched this 20 times now, & it doesn’t get any less funny.
– the misjudgment by the 1st CB;
– the 2nd CB could have dealt with it;
– the keeper’s catastrofuck clearance;
– the fact that it only *just* goes in.
But most of all… the fact that it happens to the franchise.
@wupfanzine: Little got his first goal, Al-Hamadi got his hattrick, but none of them are my favourite goal of the day…
@elishalouise1x: that’s the most MK dons goal i’ve ever seen in my lifetime
@Porky_1974: Franchise continuing to be a joke
@warringtonhat: Absolute thing of beauty
@ItMustBeLuke: You love to see it
@AlasdairHibberd: Absolute losers 😂😂😂 #FranchiseScum
@wrex21luke: Deserve everything you get
@tangerinemonk: Wow that’s bad
@GorgeousGriggy: How can anyone support Graham Alexander after that? Literally can’t see it getting any better. Please just sack him. #MKDons
@shaunmulhern95: Surely that’s it for Graham Alexander, probably the worst it’s ever been. #MKDons
@GJRoberts92: Lost to an own goal, fans not happy and found more entertainment in someone being ejected by security! Terrible day, never heard so much profanity in 90minutes as I did today!
@adrianwalker78: Get rid, bring back Robbo. Do it before it’s too late in the season
@mark_l04: Embarrassing. The fact we struggle to create any clear chances against Harrogate says it all, sack him now
@mkchris15: Get out my club! Winkleman too
You must be logged in to post a comment Login