Two red cards and an injury to goalkeeper Lee Harrison saw Barnet leave Milton Keynes suffering a 3-1 defeat despite a superb battling performance by Paul Fairclough's side.

The Bees stuck with the same starting 11 that saw off Macclesfield Town last Saturday with Jason Puncheon out to impress against his old side.

MK Dons started the game brightly and they could have taken the lead after just 54 seconds when a long ball forward by Dean Lewington caught out a static Barnet defence allowing Scott Taylor through on goal, but Harrison blocked the strikers effort, gathering the ball at the second attempt.

Lloyd Dyer and Nicky Bailey then had weak efforts saved for the Dons and Barnet respectively, but with 11 minutes on the clock the home side were to take the lead.

Bailey was dispossessed by Clive Platt 30 yards from his own goal and the Dons striker advanced into the penalty area before slotting the ball past Harrison to give Martin Allen's side the lead.

Barnet responded well and they were nearly level in the 23rd minute when Milton Keynes goalkeeper Harper could only push away a vicious in-swinging Dean Sinclair cross from the left, following a short corner routine by he and Puncheon, and the ball fell to Simon King, but the centre back could only stab his effort wide.

Four minutes later and Barnet were level and it was King who was to atone for his earlier miss.  Bailey swung a deep free kick into the box where Ismail Yakubu hooked the ball towards the six yard area allowing King to head the ball home from eight yards.

The Bees joy turned to despair just 40 seconds later when Sinclair was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Wilbraham, but, despite going down to ten men, Barnet were looking more of a threat in the final third.

Andy Hessenthaler replaced Richard Graham in the 33rd minute as Barnet moved Jason Puncheon out wide and played with just Adam Birchall in attack, and the move seemed to frustrate the home side who were struggling to get past a stubborn Bees side.

On the stroke of half time, though, Barnet were reduced to nine men when Dean Lewington went down following an Ian Hendon challenge.  The referee did not see the incident, although his assistant suggested that the Bees skipper had elbowed the Dons left back, although to everyone in attendance it looked completely innocuous with both sides looking somewhat surprised, to say the least, at the referees decision.

Lee Harrison then suffered a hip injury and was replaced by Ross Flitney in goal as things went from bad, to worse for the Bees.

Barnet fought manfully in the second half and played with real passion and fight and they could have taken a shock lead in the 55th minute when Puncheon met a superb Birchall cross from the left, but the former Dons player could only direct his volleyed effort over the crossbar.

Ten minutes later and the home side were to go in front when a free kick from the left by McGovern was headed back across goal by Wilbraham where Platt was ready and waiting to hook the ball in from six yards.

Four minutes later and the Dons were to go further ahead when Bailey was adjudged to have pushed Jonathan Hayes over in the penalty area. Flitney dived to his left to push away Platt's penalty but the Dons striker reacted quickly to stab the ball home to get his, and the Dons, third goal of the game.

Barnet continued to fight and battle for everything, restricting the home side to long range efforts, but it was not enough as the Bees headed back to Underhill with nothing to show for their efforts.

Attendance: 6,447 (773)

By Jonathan Sugar