MK Dons 1-3 Barnsley
The FA Cup with Budweiser
Fifth Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 16 February 2013
stadium:mk, MK Dons FC
Winning clubs receive £180,000 from The FA's Prize Fund
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By Sean Gallagher
Barnsley reached the quarter final stage of The FA Cup for the second time in five years as they ended MK Dons' fairytale run in the Fifth Round.
The game was all but over in the opening 20 minutes ,after goals from strike duo Chris Dagnall and Marlon Harewood gave the Yorkshire side a comfortable lead at stadium:mk.
Dean Bowditch gave the home side hope when he pulled a goal back on the hour mark, but Dagnall netted his second of the game in injury time to put Barnsley through to the last eight of the competition.
This fixture was the first time the two clubs had met in the competition, with Barnsley enjoying their best FA Cup run since reaching the Semi-Finals in 2008.
The Yorkshire club included two members of the side who started that game against Cardiff at Wembley - goalkeeper Luke Steele and defender Bobby Hassell - as they looked to progress to the last eight.
MK Dons included former Manchester United and Leeds striker Alan Smith in their starting line-up, as he replaced the cup-tied Izale McLeod.
However, only three minutes were on the clock when former England U19 midfielder Jacob Mellis found Dagnall in the box, with the latter finishing from close range.
Barnsley doubled their advantage soon after when Harewood fired into the bottom left corner after 19 minutes.
The home side halved the deficit 15 minutes after the break when Bowditch fired home into the far right corner - his tenth goal in all competitions this season.
The Dons continued to press for the equaliser and went agonisingly close in the dying moments of the game with Steele saving superbly from Shaun Williams before Smith fired over the bar from close range.
Jason Scotland - who had scored three goals from the bench in the last three games - also went close as he shot over from the edge of the box.
But the away side ensured their place in the last eight after Dagnall added his second in injury-time, as the Dons ended with ten men on the field following Smith's red card for a foul on Mellis.
The win means David Flitcroft continues his fairytale start as permanent manager of the Championship side by making it six games without defeat and a place in the Sixth Round draw on Sunday.
MK Dons: Martin, Otsemobor, MacKenzie, Williams, Lewington, Potter, Harley (Chicksen, 45), Powell, Chadwick, Bowditch (Lines, 67), Smith.
Subs not used: Kouo-Doumbe, Flanagan, Alli, Galloway, Rasulo.
Barnsley: Steele, Wiseman, Cranie, Kennedy, Golbourne, Hassell (Delap, 70), Perkins, Etuhu (O'Brien, 57), Mellis, Dagnall, Harewood (Scotland, 45).
Subs not used: Alnwick, Foster, Cywka, Rose.
Referee: Mike Jones
