League Two: Barnet 2-2 MK Dons

MK Dons had to come from 2-0 down to secure a point in a thrilling encounter with Barnet at The Hive on Saturday.

Behind to Adam Senior’s header and Mark Shelton’s penalty after 28 minutes, a poor Dons side were somewhat lucky to have one back six minutes before half-time courtesy of Jack Sanders’ third of the season.

Roared on by nearly 1,400 travelling fans though, Dons took control of the second-half and got level with 25 minutes to go through Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

Both sides had chances to win it late on, with the hosts twice getting the ball in the net only to see it ruled out, with a point apiece about fair.

The result sees Dons remain fourth in League Two.

After missing the FA Cup last Saturday against former club Colchester United, captain Alex Gibley returned to the side in the centre of the park, replacing Dan Crowley who dropped back to the bench at The Hive. Goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray remained out after his head injury against Bromley two weeks prior.

Despite a huge travelling contingent from Milton Keynes of more than 1,400, Warne’s side looked distinctly second-best for much of the first-half against the Bees. On the back-foot for much of the opening 20 minutes, the visitors rode their luck with some loose possession and lacklustre football in the attacking third offering up little threat.

Ryan Glover meanwhile was the lead tormentor for Barnet, and after setting up a chance which Idris Kanu squandered, he then won a corner which Nnamdi Ofaborh drilled towards Adam Senior to nod the hosts in front after 13 minutes.

Glover would continue to torment Jon Mellish on the Barnet right, and after carving the Wigan loanee inside and out, was tripped by tripped inside the box for a penalty which Mark Shelton converted on 28 minutes to double their advantage.

Going two goals down appeared to spark something of a revival from the visitors though as they began play some more incisive attacking football towards the end of the first-half. And they managed to ease tensions when Jack Sanders neatly picked out the bottom corner from a low-driven corner six minutes from the break.

Warne had seen enough and made two changes at the break, introducing Joe Tomlinson and Callum Paterson for Will Collar and the tortured Mellish, and it sparked a revival from the visitors which would see them get back into the game.

More incisive and threatening in the final third, Dons began to force the issue and play further up the field than they did in the first-half.

They had to be patient though, but got their reward with 25 minutes to go when Nathaniel Mendez-Laing lashed home after brilliant work from Aaron Nemane on the right.

The Guatemalan then found himself in a similar position but fired into the side-netting, while Luke Offord nearly scored the goal of the season when he watched the ball drop perfectly onto his right foot, but his volley was brilliantly saved by Cieran Slicker.

Barnet though would not go down without a fight, and twice had the ball in the net only to see both ruled out. Shelton blasted an indirect free-kick through a crowd hoping for a deflection after Ekpiteta and Trueman got their wires crossed, while substitute Oli Hawkins thought he’d won it in stoppage time when his header was spilled in, only for the flag to cut short his celebrations.

Referee: James Durkin

Attendance: 3,597 (1,342)

Barnet: Slicker, Collinge, Senior, Ndlovu (Hawkins 82), Stead (Smith 82), Kanu, Glover, Winterburn (Hartigan 74), Shelton (Osadebe 74), Tavares, Ofoborh

Subs not used: Evans, Kensdale, Crichlow

MK Dons: Trueman, Offord, Sanders (Thompson 71), Ekpiteta, Mellish (Tomlinson 46), Nemane, Gilbey, Kelly, Collar (Paterson 46), Mendez-Laing, Hepburn-Murphy (Crowley 79)

Subs not used: Finch, Thompson, Leko, Thompson-Sommers

Booked: Mendez-Laing, Sanders, Paterson, Kanu, Thompson