Don and dusted for Cherries (From Bournemouth Echo)

Don and dusted for Cherries

10:59pm Tuesday 7th October 2008

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IN A stadium fit for top-flight football, a man used to the biggest stage stole the show last night.

Cherries skipper Darren Anderton struck 13 minutes from time for the only goal of the game to dump holders MK Dons out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and avenge last season's defeat in the same competition.

The veteran midfielder's late effort sealed a deserved 1-0 victory, after Cherries had dominated following the 46th-minute sending off of Dons' Flavien Belson.

As expected, Cherries boss Jimmy Quinn made one change to the side which lost at Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday, with in-form playmaker Sammy Igoe (groin) replaced by Swindon Town loan man Blair Sturrock.

Roberto Di Matteo, the former Chelsea star in charge of MK Dons, fielded a side which included seven alterations following the weekend win at Millwall.

And the hosts were forced to play the opening stages on the back foot, as the men from Dean Court started brightly at stadiummk.

Patient passing opened up a chance for Danny Hollands, who fired over from 25 yards in the ninth minute, before Marvin Bartley almost latched on to a neat through ball from Goulding.

The Dons soon found their feet, however, and Cherries keeper Shwan Jalal was forced into a sharp save by winger Florian Sturm before veteran forward Kevin Gallen fired a decent chance wide.

In a half of few chances, it was Cherries who carved out the best opening in the 36th minute.

Brett Pitman, on as a 13th-minute substitute for the injured Goulding, played a fine through ball to Bartley as Quinn's men counter-attacked at pace. But Dons keeper Nathan Abbey bravely denied Bartley.

The hosts had a glorious opportunity to go into the interval ahead but Sturm fired over from eight yards under pressure from Jalal, after Cherries had failed to clear a cross from Dons skipper Dean Lewington.

Cherries were given a helping hand by referee Anthony Taylor immediately after the break as the official angered the home faithful and players alike by producing a shock red card.

Dons midfielder Belson caught Pitman late on the halfway line and, with most of the people in attendance expecting a yellow card, a red appeared and the hosts were controversially reduced to 10 men.

Cherries soon set about making their numerical advantage tell and Pitman went close on three occasions in the space of five minutes.

Jalal brilliantly kept Cherries level in the 69th-minute with a wonderful save from Gallen's close-range header before play switched to the other end, with the League Two outfit twice coming within inches of a goal.

The Dons somehow cleared off their line in the 74th minute after Cummings's deep corner had caused all sorts of problems for the hosts.

And moments later Anderton's 30-yard drive was only kept out by the crossbar, with Abbey well beaten by the fierce strike.

Cherries got the goal their pressure deserved 13 minutes from time - with Anderton the scorer.

Hollands advanced on goal and unleashed a low 25-yard effort that Abbey looked to have covered, only for Cherries' former England international to divert the ball home from 12 yards.

The hosts tried to get back into the game but Cherries' defenders continued their solid form to book a place in the draw for the next round.

MK Dons: (4-4-2) Abbey; Regan, O'Hanlon (Llera, h-t), Stirling, Lewington; Wright (Chadwick, h-t), Navarro, Belson, Sturm (Chicksen, 70); Gallen, Johnson. Unused subs: Gueret, Baldock. Booked: Gallen Sent off: Belson Cherries: (3-5-2) Jalal 7.5; Guyett 7.5, Cooper 7, Pearce 7.5; Bradbury 7, Bartley 7, Anderton 8*, Hollands 7, Cummings 7.5; Sturrock 7 (McQuoid, 70), Goulding 6.5 (Pitman, 13).Unused subs: Pryce, Ward, Partington. Booked: Bartley, Pitman, Bradbury Referee: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester)

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