MK Dons continued to show bagfuls of promise in their final pre-season fixture ahead of the 2010/11 season, despite seeing a lead overturned by Premier League Birmingham City.

Karl Robinson's rotated side gave Alex McLeish's Blues a mighty fright at stadiummk when they powered into two-goal lead thanks to Jermaine Easter's early penalty and Jabo Ibehre's coolly-taken second just after the break.

But Birmingham, who saw James McFadden smash a first-half penalty of his own into the woodwork, showed their top flight class in the end as Cameron Jerome's double inspired a fightback before Garry O'Connor's fortunate late winner.

Defeat was hard on Robinson's men, who outplayed their surprised opponents for decent spells of an entertaining game, despite the Dons boss using 21 players to protect his squad ahead of Saturday's trip to Walsall.

And while mistakes made while the team was in obvious transition cost them the result on the night, home supporters left stadiummk with their enthusiasm built over recent weeks firmly intact.

Within three minutes, the home side were in front after full-back Luke Howell and wing-man Lewis Guy produced a lovely exchange down the right - the former pulling back a cross that threw the whole Birmingham defence.

Jermaine Easter celebrates his penalty opener with youngster George Baldock.

Chadwick had read the delivery though, stepping back to pull the trigger from 14 yards, and when Gardner blocked with a hand Easter sent Ben Foster the wrong way from the spot.

It nearly got considerably better for the hosts two minutes later when the lively Guy slid Baldock into the inside-right channel, only for the Dons front-man to be denied by Foster's feet.

The tempo totally defied the occasion and Birmingham should have been level with just eight on the clock after Gardner, chasing a hopeful high ball into the box, was naively tripped by the retreating Adam Chicksen. McFadden though, normally so assured from 12 yards, crashed his effort into the frame of David Martin's goal.

It was entertaining stuff for a crowd far more modest than last week's against West Ham and Martin gave them further reason to cheer with a solid save to repel Nikola Zigic's 20-yard half-volley.

Serbian Zigic, standing six-foot-eight-inches, was predictably proving a handful for Mathias Doumbe and Cape Verdean trialist Pelé at the heart of the Dons defence and the former Valencia man rightly saw a header chalked off for offside as he met Sebastian Larsson's right-wing cross.

Luke Chadwick slides in on Barry Ferguson.

Dons were hardly into the mood to be dictated to though, and when Roger Johnson carelessly gifted possession to Easter inside his own half, the hungry Welshman flew past Scott Dann before drawing another solid block from Foster.

Blues midfielder Lee Bowyer, a pantomime villain to supporters throughout his career, would show both sides of his footballing character during a first half hardly lacking the competitive spirit the former England man thrives on.

But while his lung-bursting run to turn Larsson's cross from the right into the side-netting was admirable, his over-the-top challenge on young George Baldock, just a few minutes after an angry exchange with older brother Sam, was unpleasant in the extreme.

Easter and Baldock's promising partnership in attack continued to blossom before both players were replaced at the break - Easter typically holding both Dann and Johnson before his strike-partners shot whistled over the bar.

Robinson made wholesale changes at the break, but it didn't take the zip out of proceedings as the second half roared into life inside three minutes.

George Baldock bites into a first-half challenge.

Birmingham were nearly level from a left-wing corner as Larsson's delivery went right through the box and substitute Garry O'Connor turned his shot against the post.

But the Dons hit them hard on the break as Ibehre powered confidently into the inside left channel, seeming to overrun the ball slightly before sliding precisely under Foster.

"Can we play you every week" the home fans ironically sang, before getting a stark reminder of just what can happen against Premier League sides on 53 minutes.

Barry Ferguson, quiet to this point, spotted space in behind a square defence and Jerome was away, galloping ominously through before side-footing past Martin.

Sean O'Hanlon's removal shortly after that, having only entered the fray at half-time, will have raised some concern, but post-match reports suggested his withdrawal was purely precautionary.

Dons scorer Jabo Ibehre holds off Jordon Mutch.

Danny Woodards and youngster Tom Flanagan looked to be holding firm at the heart of the back four following O'Hanlon's departure, but the slightest of errors gave Jerome the room he needed to level.

Woodards looked set to clear the danger after dispossession the former Cardiff striker inside the Dons box, but had his pocked picked and Martin his net ruffled.

Neither side looked overly concerned with snatching a winner, though Flanagan did go close with a header from Peter Leven's corner in the final 10 minutes and Ibehre saw a shot blocked from close-range.

But it was the visitors who would complete an impressive comeback as O'Connor raided in from the left after good work from Kevin Phillips and saw his shot ricochet off Flanagan and over the helpless Martin.

A far from disappointing end to an excellent pre-season for the Dons. Attention now turns to business at the Banks' Stadium on Saturday.

Dons First Half (4-4-2): Martin; Howell, Pelé, Kouo-Doumbé, Chicksen; Guy, Leven (c), G. Baldock, Chadwick; Baldock, Easter.

Dons Second Half (4-4-2): Martin; Gleeson, Woodards, O'Hanlon (Flanagan 56), Lewington (c); Guy (Ahmed 74), Leven, Carrington, Powell; Ibehre, Coronado.

Subs not used: Williams, King.

Birmingham City (4-4-1-1): Foster; Parnaby (Fahey 35), Johnson (Ridgewell 46), Dann, Murphy (Valles 56); Larsson, Ferguson (Michel 56), Gardner (Mutch 65), McFadden (Phillips 74); Bowyer (O'Connor 46); Zigic (Jerome 46).

Subs not used: Taylor.

Attendance: 5,869