Eisa finds the net as Dons and Barnet ends all-square

Mo Eisa’s goal early in the second-half ensured MK Dons left The Hive avoiding defeat as they drew 1-1 with Barnet on Saturday.

In heavy winds, which saw advertising hoardings blown onto the pitch on several occasions, the visitors struggled to come to terms with the conditions in the first-half in particular. Sam Barratt took full advantage though, beating keeper Craig MacGillivray to give the Bees a 12th minute lead.

Playing with the wind in the second-half though, Mo Eisa rounded keeper Laurie Walker - once of Dons - nine minutes after the restart to draw level.

Trialists Josh Morris and Tommy Smith were also given run-outs again, with the side heading to Germany on Monday to continue their pre-season preparations.

For the second pre-season game of the campaign, Graham Alexander was able to hand starts to Craig MacGillivray and MJ Williams for the first time to face Barnet, with trialist Josh Morris also getting a start, having played for 25 minutes in the defeat to Wealdstone on Tuesday.

But it would be an opening 45 minutes to forget for Alexander's side at The Hive. While little credance was given by the boss to pre-season results, he cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines in the first half as he watched his side struggle in windy conditions to get anything to stick.

Barnet, meanwhile, hit the ground running and took the lead when, latching onto a wind-assisted rocket from former Dons keeper Laurie Walker, Sam Barratt rounded Craig MacGillivray to put the Bees in front after 12 minutes.

Idris Kanu, Harry Pritchard and former Dons academy product Danny Collinge all came close to adding to the scoring for the hosts too, while the visitors struggled to pick each other out as they battled against the breeze.

Zak Jules' looping cross, which caught the wind and had Walker scrambling to swipe it off the line was as close as Dons would come.

Playing into the wind in the second-half though, and given a strong word from the boss at the interval, Dons looked a far better side. And so it proved just nine minutes after the restart when Mo Eisa didn't give up on Alex Gilbey's defence-splitter, rounding keeper Walker to convert from a tight angle.

Barnet's first-half threats were almost non-existant in the second 45 minutes, the conditions clearly favouring those playing with the wind, but it took the fizz out of the game.

Both sides made extensive changes on the hour mark, with Dons introducing former Colchester United skipper Tommy Smith on as a trialist -the New Zealand international defender released by the U's earlier this summer.

The changes though, in typical pre-season fashion, forced the game to slow and it stuttered through to the end. Dons best passage of play though came in the last minute when Darragh Burns' persistance won the ball back on the flank, and Matt Smith danced through only to pick out an offside Jonathan Leko.

Referee: Chris Potter

Attendance: 902

MK Dons: MacGillivray, Tripp (Scholtz 70), O’Hora (Lewington 70), Tucker (Trialist B 63) , Jules (Harvie 63), Williams (M Smith 70), Gilbey (Kemp 70), Robson (Devoy 63), Morris (Burns 63), Eisa (Dean 70), Holland (Leko 63)