Substitute Cameron Jerome was the hero as MK Dons avoided a FA Cup upset with a narrow 1-0 win at National League Barnet.

Russell Martin’s Sky Bet League One side have never been beaten by non-league opposition in the competition.

But they left it late to put the valiant Bees to bed in a scrappy encounter at The Hive.

The game sprung into life on the half-hour mark when Regan Poole’s volley cannoned off the underside of the crossbar with former Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach stranded.

Dons striker Stephen Walker inexplicably fired over the bar from inside the box with the goal gaping.

Barnet’s first sight of goal came just after the break as JJ Hooper fired an effort over from outside the box.

Bees left-back Jerome Binnom-Williams was in the right place at the right time to deny the visitors an open goal.

With 20 minutes left, Carlton Morris lashed the ball wide as the League One outfit upped the ante.

Alexander McQueen almost caught Lee Nicholls out as the goalkeeper had to scramble to parry his corner behind.

The non-league side’s resistance was cruelly broken with nine minutes remaining as Jerome poked home Daniel Harvie’s drilled cross.

Harvie – denied by Loach – and Jerome, firing over, both failed to put the game beyond doubt late on.

After the match Barnet boss Peter Beadle said he felt his side did well to push the higher league opponents throughout the game, but said his players were perhaps guilty of over playing at times.

“I didn’t think we’ve come up short, I just think we were maybe trying to be a bit too intricate around the box,” said Beadle.

“There were several occasions around the goal where we could’ve had a shot, even after they scored their goal, we’ve had several moments of play around the edge of their area when you’re just thinking, ‘just hit it, just have a strike, have a shot’ so I wouldn’t have said we’ve come up short. I thought we matched them for long periods.

“We had a very good start, 15, 20 minutes into the game we were very good.

“Eventually it was just that one goal that’s decided it and I didn’t think we rode our luck as we did in the Burton game. We matched them throughout and were just a bit unlucky.”