Barnsley 3 MK Dons 5: Wilson refuses to hurl the tea cups after rout

Karl Robinson’s high-fliers were unstoppable once they had taken the lead just beyond the half-hour mark.

At 5-0 down, Conor Hourihane smashed in two late long-range consolation goals to take his tally for the season to five and Devante Cole grabbed the Reds’ third in stoppage-time.

Barnsley had been facing an uphill battle since seconds before half-time, when Samir Carruthers slammed home from 12 yards to fire the Dons 2-0 up.

Arsenal loan man Benik Afobe had opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season.

The second half got off to a dismal start as Dele Alli clipped a beautiful finish over the advancing Adam Davies.

Two Dons substitutes, Will Grigg and Ben Reeves, got on the scoresheet to make it 5-0 before the 80-minute mark was up.

Barnsley chief Danny Wilson said: “I’m quite calm really, if I’m honest. Being 5-0 down was a conundrum as to why in terms of our defensive work, because we’re better than that.

“The four or five mistakes we’ve made have been punished. You’ve got to hold your hand up to the good finishing that they produced and they’re a good side.

“If you get a result like this in the season and it makes you better, we’ll take it. We’ve got to take this on the chin. There’s no throwing of tea cups because this is a learning process.”

Barnsley: Davies, Brown, Cranie, Nyatanga, Dudgeon, Berry, Abbott (Digby 46), Hourihane, Jennings, Hemmings (Cole 57), Lita (Winnall 68). Unused substitutes: Mvoto, Noble-Lazarus, Dibble, Bree.

Milton Keynes Dons: Martin, Baldock, Kay, Spence, Lewington, Powell, Randall, Carruthers (Hitchcock 74), Bowditch, Afobe (Grigg 69), Alli (Reeves 77). Unused substitutes: Flanagan, McLoughlin, Rasulo, Tilney.

Referee: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Dele Alli.