Nick Sandamas sees the Bees win at Stadium MK

The inside of an football stadium, Stadium MK, home of League Two MK Dons — Stadium MK, home of MK Dons – (Credit – Nick Sandamas)

MK Dons 1 Barnet 3

Barnet upset the form book yesterday by coming from an early goal down to defeat second placed MK Dons, in a result which also ended the home side’s fourteen match unbeaten league run and gave real hope that the play-offs are still a realistic possibility for the black and amber.

The Bees went with the same eleven which started last Tuesday’s game against Crawley Town.

With seven minutes gone, a real howler from Bees’ custodian Ciaran Slicker handed the automatic promotion chasers the lead when a high ball into the box saw him miss the flight of the ball and, as he looked behind, Jon Mellish poked home to give MK the opener.

Both sides cancelled each other out thereafter until past the half hour mark when MK carved out an another opportunity with Melish spraying the ball across the box to Ben Wiles but his goalbound shot was blocked in the six yard area by Nik Taveres’s boot.

The Bees came into it and, on 38 minutes, Ryan Glover was presented with a great chance to level as a long kick by Slicker saw the ball go over everyone’s head to the number 15, who found himself with a one on one but, once he entered the area, could only fire his shot against keeper Craig McGillivray.

Then, with the Bees on top, they got their reward with the equaliser which came in the fourth of five minutes of first half stoppage time.

Mark Shelton floated in a delicious corner for centre half Danny Collinge to head home into the far corner of the net for only his second goal of the season.

With three minutes of the second half played, the Bees took a shock lead when Glover played the ball to Kabongo Tshimanga who shrugged off a defender to shoot low into the far corner of the net his sixth goal in Bees’ colours since his signing in January.

Before MK were allowed to breathe, the Bees shocked the home faithful again by striking goal number three on 57 minutes.

A ball was not properly cleared and it fell straight to Idris Kanu on the edge of the D and he went on to hit the ball into the top corner net to give his side a two goal cushion.

The Dons were given a great opportunity to reduce the arrears five minutes later when they were awarded a penalty following Nnamdi Ofoborh’s foul on Aaron Collins but Rushian Hepburn-Murphy’s weak spot kick was kept out by the legs of Slicker.

Slicker was in action again a minute later but Collins saw him palm his shot away for a Liam Kelly corner and, from that, Callum Stead was in the right place at the time to head off the line from Jack Sanders.

A few more half chances fell home side’s way as they tried to get back into it but the Bees were untroubled and deservedly went back up the M1 with all three points to give the 778 travelling contingent some cheer following a couple of indifferent results recently.

Next Saturday, the Bees come up against another top three side in Cambridge United which will also see the long awaited return of boss Dean Brennan shouting instructions from the bench following the conclusion of his nine match touchline ban for alleged comments he made to a female referee during a game last autumn.

Team: Slicker, Senior, Collinge, Tavares, Crichlow (Kizzi 86), Glover (Hartigan 90+7), Shelton, Ofoborh, Stead (Chinedu 90+7) Tshimanga (Hawkins 90+1), Kanu (Jaiyesimi 90+7)

Subs not used: Evans, Howland

Attendance 7944 (778 away fans)

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