MK Dons under-18s produced one of their best performances of the season to see off Norwich City on Saturday.

An own-goal just after the break and a header from Ireland under-21 international Kieran Murphy fired the Dons to victory against a Norwich side, most of which had been involved in a 3-1 win over the Dons reserves last month.

In similar blustery weather experienced by the first team against Wrexham, the young Dons started the game playing against the conditions but will still able to start well when good pressure from the forward line allowed Sam Baldock shooting space but his shot was saved.

Stephane Koffi, fresh from an explosive performance against West Ham United last week, then raced onto a pass from Liam Kelly to work the Norwich 'keeper again on 15 minutes.

As the Canaries got into their stride, they managed to use the windy conditions to their advantage and pin the Dons back. But excellent work from the defence led by Murphy ensured the Dons reached half-time with a clean sheet, and they might have been in front but for a brilliant last-ditch tackle that denied Daniel Powell a chance.

Academy director and under-18 coach Mike Dove said: "It was a good period for us, there hadn't been much threat on our goal but that was due to how hard we were working on keeping a clean sheet.

"Against the wind we worked hard to frustrate them and we pressed the ball brilliantly, which was something we had worked on in training.

"Having said that, we still needed to do better with the chances we had.

"For the second half we had the wind at our backs but we talked about playing the ball forward with intelligence, not playing too straight and continuing the hard work defensively."

Dove's team talk must have done the trick as within two minutes of the restart, his side were in front. Dean Lovegrove, returning to the side after suspension, delivered a dangerous inswinging free-kick and, such was the quality of the ball, the Norwich defence could do nothing as the ball deflected in.

It was the start of a spell where the Dons would turn the table and pin Norwich back and just after the hour mark, another Lovegrove set piece forced a second. The corner from the left came swinging in at pace and Murphy rose highest to thump a header into the net.

"At this point I honestly felt we would go on to get three or four and with the set pieces we forced there is no doubt that we should have," Dove added.

Sam Baldock, Adam Moriarty and Lovegrove all saw chances go begging while Charlie Shuter, making his first appearance in three months, also saw a shot fly narrowly wide.

"It was an excellent all-round performance," said Dove, "the application and attitude from all of our players was superb.

"Every week we have areas I feel we need to work on and Saturday was no different. We were not clinical enough from set-pieces but that would be being hyper-critical.

"I'm chuffed to bits for them."

Dons: Flood, Mitchell-Coop, Kent, Murphy (c), Kelly, Lovegrove, Moriarty, Shuter, Koffi, Powell, Baldock.
Subs not used: Delderfield, King, Farden, Chicksen, Fox.