Barnet 0 - MK Dons 2

5:33pm Saturday 23rd February 2008

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Two crackers from the MK Dons in four first half minutes were enough to see off a toothless Barnet side this afternoon.

The Bees were 2 - 0 down after 17 minutes, and their woes were compounded in extra time in the first half, when an elbow from Michael Leary on MK Dons' captain saw him sent off.

The afternoon had started more brightly for the Bees.

With a flurry of chances in the first ten minutes they looked the more likely and had the ball in the back of the net, courtesy of Adam Birchall.

But the strike was chalked off for offside, a decision which did not invite too many complaints from the Bees players.

From then on in it got worse, with a scrappy game blessed with few clear-cut chances and punctuated only by a pair of long-distance drives that beat Rob Beckwith.

Barnet lined up with a 4-4-2 formation following the less-than-succesful experiment with a lone-striker.

But the crowd could be forgiven for thinking that Birchall was playing on his own up-front as Cliff Akurang went to sleep.

Birchall was full of lively running, but the diminutive striker had little joy against the more imposing centre-backs.

On 14 minutes the ball fell to Alan Navarro 25 yards out after a scramble in the box. He picked his spot and unleashed a drive that flew beyond Beckwith.

Only four minutes later, the classy Kevin Gallen looped a ball out to Lloyd Dyer in almost the same position. He took the ball on in to open space and brought it on to his left foot before hitting a devilish strike that flew into the back of the net.

Paul Fairclough will ask questions about the amount of space that Dyer found himself in. But that will do no justice to the vision shown by Gallen to find him and Dyer's technique.

After the match Fairclough bemoaned the absence of a striker who could have put away the half-chances that fell Barnet's way, commenting that Gallen might have had two or three if he had turned out in a Bees shirt.

By half time the chances of Barnet repeating the heroics that saw them beat MK Dons away in January looked even less likely, with Leary sent off in extra time for an elbow on Andrews.

The MK Dons captain and midfielder was left poleaxed and on the floor, but got back up to deliver a tirade at Leary.

He was so enraged that his own players had to pull him back to stop him seeking revenge. He received a yellow card for his troubles, but it was the Bees now who looked down, wounded and dejected.

Former Scotland international Colin Cameron came on at half time for the visitors. He made his mark early on with a crunching challenge on Wright. It looked bad for the youngster but he was soon back up.

Barnet stayed with four at the back, which left poor Wright outnumbered in midfield. Birchall kept working the channels and forced a corner, which failed to beat the first defender.

Two minutes later Puncheon looped a corner to the far post, where Akurang lurked and caused trouble. The ball found its way to the other side where Devera turned a bobbling ball back in, before play was stopped for an inexplicable offside call. Nothing was going Barnet's way.

But then Akurang finally sparked to life and ghosted past Drissa Diallo with powerful running. He took it down to the byline but his low cross was gathered by the keeper.

After 20 unproductive minutes of the second half, Fairclough opted to twist, bringing the lifeless Akurang off for Sagi Burton and Porter off for Carew. The change saw Kenny Gillet push up on the left wing, bolstering the midfield and leaving three at the back.

The move looked to have brightened things slightly, with Birchall gathering a long ball on the left. He cut back inside and opened back for a strike from 20 yards that was deflected away.

Moments later Puncheon skinned Lewington and jinked past another defender. He teed up Carew who tried an ambitious effort from all of 30 yards, which came to nothing.

But then MK Dons hit back, Dyer bringing a great save out of Beckwith after his shot in the six yard box hit the ground, bounced up and almost dropped in. Wright cleared from the ensuing corner.

On 60, Birchall and Albert Adomah fought for posession of a one on one with the keeper. Birchall won the tussle but his shot was gathered easily by the keeper. The shot was the best chance Barnet stood of getting back in the game, but the tame effort was symptomatic of an afternoon when nothing went right for the Bees.

In the dying moments of the game a cross from Dyer on the left found Gallen only yards out. His low effort was beaten away by the keeper, bringing to a close an afternoon the Bees will want to forget.

The talking point after the game was the elbow on Andrews. MK Dons manager Paul Ince said that he had "no sympathy" for Leary. Paul Fairclough said that he had not seen the incident.

Attendance 2,495.