In the 2012–13 season, Dawson continued to establish himself as a first team regular in the midfield position and then scored his first Barnsley goal on 29 September 2012, in a 1–1 draw against Ipswich Town. Throughout December 2012, Dawson scored three times in six appearances during the month against Leicester City, Millwall and Blackburn Rovers. However, he suffered an ankle ligament damage after just playing 12 minutes and was substituted as a result, in a 1–1 draw against Ipswich Town on 19 January 2013. After the match, it was announced that Dawson was out for six weeks. After returning to the first team in March, Dawson remained on the substitute bench for three matches until making his return to the first team, in a 2–0 win over Leicester City on 1 April 2013. His return was soon short–lived when he was sent–off for a foul on Yann Kermorgant, in a 6–0 defeat to Charlton Athletic on 13 April 2013. After serving a three match suspension, Dawson returned to the side on the last game of the season, in a 2–2 draw against Huddersfield Town, a draw that saw Barnsley safety in the Championship. In his first full season at Barnsley, Dawson made the total of 34 appearances and scoring 4 times in all competitions.