Toby Lock
MK Citizen's sports editor on BBC Three Counties Radio

What a mess.

MK Dons have not been a match for Crawley at any point. They've been shaky at the back, it's just been Max Dean on his own at the front and there's been nothing in midfield whatsoever.

It's simple stuff for Crawley. They haven't had to do anything special.

Toby Lock
MK Citizen's sports editor on BBC Three Counties Radio

MK Dons have no answer. Crawley are quick to turn, quick to get back to the other end and defend.

Crawley, once again, have been by far the better side. We saw it in both games this season in the league. MK Dons are just not at it at all in this first-half.

The Tykes are showing their teeth now.

Adam Phillips, sent off in last season's play-off final defeat by Sheffield Wednesday, has a dip from miles out and his effort is parried into the air by Nathan Baxter before being fielded at the second attempt.

Image source, Getty Images

The away side think they should have a penalty!

Sam Cosgrove runs into the channel to get onto a long ball into the area and he goes down under the attention of home goalkeeper Nathan Baxter.

Nothing doing.

Phil Brown
Former Bolton assistant manager on BBC Radio Manchester

He can not make that decision from there, that is guess work that is from 40 odd yards away.

He has guessed, he should not guess in a game like this, whatever you do.

He has to be closer but he was miles away.

A smart double save from MK Dons goalkeeper Michael Kelly.

First to tip over Danilo Orsi’s curling shot from just outside the area.

And then from Lawrence McGuire’s header from the resulting corner.

In truth he knew little about the header but got himself in the way to keep it at 1-0.

The home side have the ball in the net but it wont count.

Aaron Collins harries Mael de Gevigney off the ball as the Frenchman fails to deal with a long ball forward.

The referee thinks there's enough in it to give the foul.

Bolton win a free kick wide on the right hand side as John McAtee takes out Paris Maghoma.

Randell Williams' delivery is just about cleared but the home side come again and Aaron Collins hits a fierce low cross from the other side.

There are no takers in the middle.

Crawley play out from the back really well and drive forward down the left.

Klaidi Lolos is played into the area but as he tries to skip inside the last defender, Daniel Harvie nicks the ball the away for the visitors.

What a tackle, just in time.

There's certainly no need for Barnsley to go all-out from the start here.

The Tykes can ill-afford to be too open and concede.

They're looking for a first clean sheet since shutting out Cheltenham way back on 16 March.

Toby Lock
MK Citizen's sports editor on BBC Three Counties Radio

Image source, Rex Features

That's the huge difference in the way these two sides are playing. Crawley can attack at the drop of a hat and all of sudden, they've got guys up the field and MK Dons are out of position.

MK Dons just don't have that urgency. They are waiting for something to happen. It's like they are waiting for Crawley to make a mistake and they just aren't making them.

Andy Giddings
Sports Editor, BBC Sheffield

Barnsley have turned Bolton around to play the other way.

Just like Doncaster did at Crewe last night.

Just a little psychological advantage maybe?

We're off and running in Bolton.

Can the home side see the job through or are Barnsley going to do something special?

Neat play from the home side around the top of the area.

The ball falls for Danilo Orsi to strike left-footed.

A good connection and it’s deflected just wide.

Nothing comes of the corner.

Toby Lock
MK Citizen's sports editor on BBC Three Counties Radio

Max Dean hasn't had a lot of support out with him. I think that's his biggest grievance.

MK Dons work it down the right and a ball forward finds Max Dean in space between the Crawley centre halves.

But his touch is terrible, he has to check back, then try and turn into space and ends up shooting weakly from the top of the area and harmlessly wide.

Image source, Rex Features

• Bolton have lost only two of their last 21 games in all competitions against Barnsley (W8 D11), with both defeats being by a one-goal margin in November 2022 (2-1) and May 2023 (1-0).
• Barnsley are unbeaten in their last five trips to Bolton in all competitions (W1 D4), though they haven’t won there by a two-goal margin since October 1982 in the second tier (2-0).
• Both Bolton (6 goals) and Barnsley (4 goals) have scored in all three meetings so far this season, after only doing so twice in their five encounters last term.
• Following their 3-1 win in the first leg, Bolton won the first leg of a Football League play off semi-final for just the second time, previously doing so against Ipswich in May 1999; they progressed to the final that season. Barnsley meanwhile lost the first leg for a third time, previously doing so in May 2006 when they won promotion to the Championship, and in May 2021 to Swansea.
• Bolton’s Dion Charles has scored at least 20 goals for a Football League club in three of the past four seasons in all competitions, while he could score in three successive games for the Trotters for the first time since September 2023 (run of four).
• In League One this season (excluding play-offs), Barnsley scored more away goals than any other side (44), as well as boasting the second-highest shot conversion rate (13.9%) on the road behind Wigan (14.4%). Indeed, in John McAtee (10), the Tykes had the joint-highest goalscorer in away games for the competition in 2023-24.

Toby Lock
MK Citizen's sports editor on BBC Three Counties Radio

I think Dons just need a spell on the ball. They need to play their own football. This game is being played at 1000 miles an hour and that's suiting Crawley.

The game has settled after a really frenetic opening.

On a balmy night, that early pace was surely not sustainable.

Crawley have a chance with a long throw on the right but try to go short and nothing comes of it.

But then the visitors force another corner down their right.

This time it’s swung in but easily cleared. Poor delivery.