MK Dons bounce back from two goal deficit to take point at Barnet

MK Dons drew 2-2 with Barnet in North London after recovering from falling 2-0 down to their hosts.

Adam Senior and Mark Shelton had put the Bees two goals up inside the opening half hour, but MK Dons would recover as Jack Sanders and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scored the goals to wipe out the home side’s lead.

Both sides created and spurned chances to take the win for themselves, but neither would, as the game ended all square at The Hive.

A draw means MK Dons sit 4th in the League Two table, as the lead of one of 4 sides level on 25 points after 15 games. They are 4 points behind Walsall and Swindon, who are tied on 29 points at the top of the table, with the Dons welcoming 3rd place Salford to Stadium MK in their next league outing.

MK Dons made a slow start against last season’s National League champions, with the visitors falling behind after 13 minutes. Nnamdi Ofoborh’s cross picked out Senior, and the latter drilled it past Connal Trueman to put the home side into the lead.

Just before the half-hour, Barnet would make it 2-0 from the penalty spot. Jon Mellish’s foul on Glover was penalised by the referee, and Shelton scored from 12 yards.

But the Dons would improve from this nadir and they grabbed a goal back in the final stages of the first half. Liam Kelly’s corner was flicked on by Rushian Hepburn-Murphy into the path of Sanders, who drilled his shot into the back of the net.

Barnet would have a goal disallowed in the second half when they were awarded an indirect free-kick only for Shelton’s free-kick to go directly in instead, falling foul of the rule and the goal was chalked off.

MK Dons knocked on the door after the break and 20 minutes after half-time, they would get their equaliser. Aaron Nemane’s cross wasn’t fully cleared and Mendez-Laing duly placed his strike past Barnet keeper Cieran Slicker to make it 2-2.

A feisty game duly opened up, with Luke Offord denied by a brilliant save from Slicker before Mendez-Laing hit the side-netting from a similar position to his equaliser.

But the visitors were unable to find a third and they would very nearly concede themselves, as Oli Hawkins bundled the Bees in front in the third minute of stoppage time, but before he could truly celebrate, an offside flag denied the Barnet substitute.

That brought an end to proceedings, and with it, the points were shared.