Three goals in the last eight minutes added a positive tone to a very disappointing match for Barnsley in which they went 5-0 down.

The Dons embarrassed their hosts for the first 80 minutes and scored the first five goals before Conor Hourihane blasted in 25-yard stunners on 82 and 86 minutes then Devante Cole headed in at the start of injury time.

The remarkable match ended a run of five games unbeaten for Barnsley and was their heaviest defeat of the season. 

Danny Wilson changed his strikeforce from the 2-0 cup win over York 11 days earlier as Cole and Sam Winnall dropped to the bench and were replaced by Kane Hemmings, who made his first start for the club, and Leroy Lita. Luke Berry also replaced James Bree.

Barnsley came close after three minutes when Lewin Nyatanga's header from Joe Dudgeon's long throw was tipped over by David Martin. The Dons goalkeeper was beaten seconds later by Hemmings' header from Hourihane's cross but Mark Randall cleared off the line.

Barnsley came even closer on 16 minutes when Berry surprised the Dons defence by quickly passing a free-kick on the left wing to Hemmings who sped into the box then pulled the back to Hourihane but the 12-yard shot hit the base of the right post.

The Dons dominated the next hour and went 1-0 up on 33 minutes when Mark Randall's powerful but central effort seemed to take home goalkeeper Adam Davies by surprise and he pushed it straight to Benik Afobe who made no mistake from six yards out.

The Reds goalkeeper made amends in the next few minutes as he denied Daniel Powell when the winger was clean through on goal then clawed out Randall's volley which was destined for his top right corner.

MK doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time as Joe Dudgeon should have intercepted a pass to Dele Alli on the right wing but failed and then was beaten by the Dons midfielder who passed to Samir Carruthers to blast the ball into the top right corner from 12 yards out.

Paul Digby replaced Brad Abbott at half-time then lost the ball on the edge of his box before Carruthers dribbled through the home defence and the ball ran to Alli who applied the dinked finish from six yards out.

Digby was also at fault for the fourth goal as substitute Will Grigg dispossessed him to go clean through on goal before running into the box where he beat Davies with a cool finish.

It was 5-0 on 78 minutes when Daniel Powell received a long ball on the left wing and beat Brown before picking out the unmarked Ben Reeves who fired in from eight yards out.

Hourihane gave the few home fans who were left with eight minutes to go something to cheer as he smashed a superb strike into the top right corner from 25 yards out then did almost exactly the same four minutes later with a lower effort. 

Cole's header from a corner was judged to have crossed the line but the Reds failed to complete what would have been an astonishing comeback in the four added minutes.