Barnsley boss Michael Duff relieved Reds eventually get back in the game to frustrate Milton Keynes Dons

The hosts had a three-goal cushion with 17 minutes to play but James Norwood’s strike and a late Max Watters brace brought the third-tier strugglers to their knees.

Barnsley took the lead on the half-hour mark when Herbie Kane’s strike from outside the area took a deflection off Norwood and wrong-footed Jamie Cumming in the home goal.

MK Dons started the second half in perfect style, Mo Eisa converting a penalty after he had been brought down in the box and then they took the lead four minutes later as Jonathan Leko tapped in Sullay Kaikai’s drilled cross.

The lead was extended nine minutes later, Eisa curling a superb effort from outside the box into the top corner before Warren O’Hara’s flicked header from a corner seemed to settle the contest.

Not to be deterred, Norwood tapped home from close range before Watters steered a volley home as the hosts failed to clear their lines to set up a nervy finish.

It ultimately ended with Watters’ deft touch from Nicky Cadden’s cross squirming under the body of Cumming to earn the Tykes a dramatic share of the spoils, although Duff was not wildly impressed.

“The last 20 minutes, we went back to everything we normally do, scored three goals and probably could have gone on to win it,” he said.

“It’s not even about the result really, the result is irrelevant. It’s more certain things that I didn’t like, some of their players running past ours, conceding from set plays, all the things we pride ourselves on. Today was nowhere near the level we need to be at.

“We just didn’t show up in the second half because we thought it was going to be easy. They’ve come at us with everything, they’re fighting for their lives and ultimately it’s a warning that there is no God-given right to beat anybody in football.

“We didn’t down tools, we just switched off. Sometimes you need a kick to react and in the last 20 minutes of the second half we did everything that we should have done in the first place.”

Milton Keynes Dons: Cumming, KaiKai (Jules 85), O'Hora, Tucker, Lewington, Watson, Maghoma, McEachran (Johnson 77), Grant (Devoy 78), Leko (Dean 85), Eisa (Grigg 85). Unused substitutes: Holland,Ravizzoli.

Barnsley: Isted, Cundy (Cotter 64), B Thomas, Kitching, Williams, Benson (Russell 74), Kane, L Thomas, Cadden, Tedic (Watters 64), Norwood (Shaw 74). Unused substitutes: Larkeche, Collins, Cole.

Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria).