Seventeen goals conceded in five games – that stat says it all really.

Another loss, another defensive horror show and what was a major problem before the game has now become a crisis.

Before their morale-sapping 5-1 defeat away at Charlton, Dons had conceded just 12 goals in the whole of their League One campaign. But since that day at the Valley the back five now look like leaking goals almost every time the opposition goes forward.

The basics of defending have deserted them. They're nervy, short on confidence and teams are pouncing on it.

Defeat at Millwall was particularly hard to take for boss Paul Ince, who saw his side slide down to ninth place with teams like Walsall climbing above them.

After coming down with the flu his access to the team was restricted and he wasn't able to give his team talk either before the game or at half-time. And his presence on the touchline was missing in a first period when Dons were completely outclassed.

They could and probably should have gone behind after just a few minutes when a simple ball into the box wasn't defended, with Andy Frampton heading the ball towards goal and Martin Devaney stopping it on the line with what appeared to be his arm.

Moments later and Willy Gueret's clearance was charged down by Steve Morrison and only the front man taking too long to bring the ball down allowed the 'keeper to recover.

They might have got away with those two pieces of luck, but another cross into the area from again found the marauding Frampton who managed to hold off Dave McCracken and head into the net at the near post with relative ease.

Not long after the hosts' constant pressure in midfield told again. They were pressing Dons constantly and with two little men up front in the form of Jermaine Easter and Sam Baldock, they couldn't make the ball stick in Millwall's half.

It was 2-0 when a quickly taken free-kick put Danny Schofield through on goal and although his effort was parried, David Martin managed to square for Chris Hackett who smashed a low shot in at the near post.

A Millwall team without five of their best players – with Neil Harris, James Henry, Zac Whitbread, Danny Senda and Gary Alexander all missing –were simply tearing Dons apart.

Steve Morrison was the next to go close as his shot was well kept out by Gueret. Something had to be done at half time and Aaron Wilbraham replaced Luke Chadwick.

And while he didn't get the goal which gave Dons hope, it did seem to have an effect as the superb Easter scored just 15 seconds after the break.

He bulldozed his way through the middle and cut inside Paul Robinson before firing home from the edge of the box.

That was the confidence boost that Dons so desperately needed and they went on to boss possession for most of the half.

Moments later Baldock forced a save from David Forde after cutting in from the right and firing a low shot to the near post.

Dons were back in the game but still didn't look water-tight at the back as a through ball bounced off McCracken's head and allowed Morrison to fire away a half-volley that forced Gueret into an eye-catching save.

Then with 10 minutes to go Easter notched his 13th of the season with another impressive strike.

A long ball dropped at his feet on the edge of the box and afforded time to take aim he put his foot right through the ball and it arrowed into the top right-hand corner.

A precious point or even a win was now in Dons' grasp.

Both teams went for the winner without too much success until a minute into injury time as Morrison managed to turn the lumbering McCracken and when through on goal he just tucked a precise shot past the helpless Gueret.

MK Dons: Gueret, Woodards (Howell 54), Powell, McCracken, Lewington, Devaney (Leven 75), Quashie (booked 40), Puncheon, Chadwick (Wilbraham 46 booked 55), Easter (booked 61), Baldock

Subs: Searle, Gleeson, Carrington, Wilbraham, Howell, Leven, Morgan

Goals: Easter 46, 80

Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Frampton, Robinson, Schofield, Martin (Grabban 75), Hackett (Fuseini 90), Ward, Morison, Laird (Bolder 69), Abdou

Subs: Sullivan, Bolder, Grabban, Grimes, Smith, Fuseini, Price

Goals: Frampton 11, Hackett 20, Morison 90

Attendance: 7,883