AS IT HAPPENED
  • 1:05pm
    Good afternoon and welcome to the Chronicle’s live text coverage of Barnsley’s game against MK Dons.
  • 1:14pm
    The team news is due at 2pm. Barnsley were due to assess the fitness of strikers Slobodan Tedic and James Norwood before the game.
  • 2:01pm
    BARNSLEY XI: Collins, Williams, Edwards, Andersen, Kitching, Cadden, Kane, Phillips, Connell, Aitchison, Cole.
  • 2:01pm
    SUBS: Walton, Norwood, Benson, Martin, Cundy, Larkeche, Jalo.
  • 2:06pm
    The Dons are 21st in League One, with 14 points from 17 games. They are three points off safety, and 13 behind the eighth-placed Reds.
  • 2:10pm
    They were among the favourites for promotion this season, having lost in the play-off semi-finals in May to Wycombe Wanderers. But they sank to the bottom of the third tier last month after five straight defeats.
  • 2:15pm
    A 2-0 victory at Charlton Athletic and 0-0 draw at Cheltenham Town were followed by home wins in the FA Cup against non-league Taunton, 6-0, and the EFL Cup against Morecambe, 2-0.
  • 2:18pm
    But the run of clean sheets ended with a 3-1 loss at home to Derby County on Saturday which was a sixth straight home defeat in the league.
  • 2:23pm
    While they have the worst home record in the division, with only four points, MK have won three of their last six away league games.
  • 2:27pm
    Head coach Duff said: “I am really surprised with where they are, but it goes to show how hard it is when you change so many players. When you take players like Harry Darling and Scott Twine and some good loans out of the team, it will take time to adjust.
  • 2:27pm
    “But I have watched the last four or five games and they have gone back to what I expected. They won’t be in the bottom four at the end of the season.
  • 2:31pm
    "If you just look at the league table, supporters will say we will beat them. But they are the only team to win at Charlton, and they could have been 3-0 up at half-time against Derby. Their confidence and identity are coming back.
  • 2:36pm
    "They have good, experienced players and a good manager. They are probably better away than at home, and we have been up and down at home.”
  • 2:38pm
    MK are known for their possession-based approach. Duff said: “I think they will play out from the back all the time, it will be very rare they go long. Last year they had the highest possession in the league.
  • 2:40pm
    “It gets frustrating sometimes because they do keep it well. But you have to be patient, diligent, pick your moments and set traps.
  • 2:40pm
    "We want to have the ball as well, we don’t want it to be attack versus defence. But, when we have it, we want to have purpose.”
  • 2:43pm
    The Dons are without midfielder Matt Smith who is with Wales’ World Cup squad in Qatar.
  • 2:44pm
    MK’s highly-rated manager Liam Manning, 37, joined in August last year from Belgian club Lommel after Russell Martin moved to Swansea City.
  • 2:47pm
    Manning never played professionally but was a youth coach at Ipswich Town and West Ham United before working for City Football Group at New York City FC, where he was a colleague of Barnsley chief executive Khaled El-Ahmad.
  • 2:50pm
    Barnsley have two former MK Dons loanees in their squad. Forward Josh Martin spent the first half of last season with the Buckinghamshire club on loan from Norwich but never started a league match, coming off the bench five times before being moved on to Doncaster Rovers in January.
  • 2:51pm
    Martin told the Chronicle: “It definitely toughened me up. It wasn’t an easy period but I have turned all the negatives into positives. I learned a lot and it’s made me grow a lot as a person. Negativity doesn’t hurt me so much any more.”
  • 2:52pm
    Striker Devante Cole spent the second half of the 2014/15 season on loan to MK from Manchester City, having spent the first half on loan to Barnsley in his first spell.
  • 2:53pm
    He scored three goals in 15 appearances for the promoted Dons, ten of which were off the bench, having netted against them in a 5-3 Reds loss at Oakwell in the September
  • 2:54pm
    That was MK’s most recent visit to Barnsley, and it was their first league victory over them – having come into existence to replace Wimbledon in 2004.
  • 2:56pm
    The Dons also won at home to Barnsley in January 2015, the most recent meeting of the two clubs and one of three MK victories in eight games which also brought them three draws and two defeats.
  • 3:06pm
    The game still hasn't kicked off. There seems to be an issue with net in front of the away fans.
  • 3:08pm
    KICK OFF: The away side get us underway.
  • 3:11pm
    2 Slow start to the game, neither side has been able to keep the ball.
  • 3:12pm
    3 Adam Phillips should score the opener. A great ball in from Cadden finds Phillips in the box, but he doesn't make great contact and his effort is well over.
  • 3:13pm
    5 Nicky Cadden does brilliantly again to whip a ball in, but it's just over the head of Devante Cole and MK Dons clear the danger. Better start from Barnsley.
  • 3:15pm
    7 Fantastic from the Reds. They're all over the away side. Phillips nearly scores as he finds himself free in the box again.
  • 3:17pm
    9 Great stuff from Nicky Cadden again. This time his cross finds Cole, who can only guide his header just over the bar.
  • 3:21pm
    12 Soft foul given to the away side. Good opportunity for Josh Mceachran
  • 3:25pm
    17 MK Dons have settled into the game now, they're having the most of the possession.
  • 3:26pm
    GOAL!
    Jordan Williams
  • 3:28pm
    18 What a goal from the Reds. Devante Cole does excellently to break away from there midfield, playing through Herbie Kane. It looked like he'd ran it too far, but he played a fantastic ball into the back stick where Jordan Williams expertly volleyed home.
  • 3:31pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Josh Mceachran is booked for kicking the ball away.
  • 3:33pm
    24 It's almost 2-0 to the Reds. Devante Cole plays a wicked cross across the face of goal but no one is there to tap it home. Let off for the away side.
  • 3:34pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Luca Connell is booked. Not too sure why. Neither is anyone else in the ground.
  • 3:36pm
    28 First real chance for the away side. But Kitching does brilliantly to block Eisa in the box.
  • 3:39pm
    31 The rain is really coming down now here at Oakwell.
  • 3:40pm
    32 Corner Reds.
  • 3:44pm
    36 Half chance for the Reds. Kitching fizzes the ball into Cole, who turns and shoots - but it's a tame effort and straight at Cumming.
  • 3:48pm
    GOAL!
    Mohamed Eisa
  • 3:49pm
    40 The away side equalise just before half time. Eisa nutmegs Kitching and then fires past Collins.
  • 3:53pm
    44 Williams almost gets his second. It drops perfectly for him to hit it on the half volley, but his effort is narrowly wide.
  • 3:54pm
    ADDED TIME
    Two minutes.
  • 3:56pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Mads Andersen
  • 3:56pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Mohamed Eisa
  • 3:56pm
    47 It's another bizarre decision from the ref. He takes an age to five a foul to the away side. The, after Eisa pushes Andersen without retaliation from the Barnsley man - he books both players.
  • 3:57pm
    HALF TIME.
  • 4:14pm
    KICK OFF: The Reds get the second half underway.
  • 4:15pm
    46 Nicky Cadden shoots at goal from 40 yards out. It stings the fingers of Jamie Cumming as he parries it out to Cole, who is offside.
  • 4:18pm
    GOAL!
    Adam Phillips
  • 4:19pm
    49 It's a great header from Phillips who wrong foots Cumming and gives the Reds the lead again. It's his third goal in three games.
  • 4:21pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Liam Kitching
  • 4:24pm
    56 Great play from Phillips again. He plays in Cole but his cross is intercepted. It's a Reds corner.
  • 4:27pm
    58 Adam Phillips has been on fire in the second half. He almost sets up a third for Barnsley, but his cross doesn't quite connect with Cole.
  • 4:30pm
    62 The Reds are completely in control of the game here. Connell has just seen his shot sail wide of the goal, but MK Dons are really struggling to create anything.
  • 4:31pm
    SUB OFF
    Jack Aitchison
  • 4:31pm
    SUB ON
    James Norwood
  • 4:34pm
    65 A huge goal mouth scramble almost sees the Reds extend their lead. But the away side's defence do well to clear the ball in the end.
  • 4:36pm
    GOAL!
    Herbie Kane
  • 4:36pm
    SUB OFF
    Josh Mceachran
  • 4:36pm
    SUB ON
    Dawson Devoy
  • 4:37pm
    68 Herbie Kane does brilliantly to find the back of the net from outside the area. Cumming is once again wrong footed and the Reds go 3-1 ahead.
  • 4:44pm
    SUB ON
    Josh Benson
  • 4:44pm
    SUB OFF
    Adam Phillips
  • 4:48pm
    79 Devante Cole almost gets on the scoresheet. A great ball from Edwards finds Kitching, who loops it back into the six yard area. Cole meets it but Cumming does well to save.
  • 4:49pm
    SUB ON
    Will Grigg
  • 4:49pm
    SUB OFF
    Tennai Watson
  • 4:51pm
    SUB ON
    Fabio Jalo
  • 4:51pm
    SUB OFF
    Devante Cole
  • 4:55pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Henry Lawrence
  • 4:57pm
    88 Great save from Collins to deny MK Dons a way back into the game.
  • 4:59pm
    ADDED TIME
    Four minutes.
  • 4:59pm
    91 A blatant penalty isn't given. Jalo is hacked down in the box and the referee waves away the appeal.
  • 5:03pm
    FULL TIME: The Reds move into the play off places.