Matthew Halliday's late penalty sent Norwich home with a win after an exciting Pontins Holidays Combination game at stadiummk.

In the Dons first home reserve fixture of the season, 556 supporters were treated to some excellent football from some of the club's young players some equally impressive stuff from their experienced opponents.

Midfielder Rossi Jarvis had given the visitors the lead within seconds of the start of the second half only for Stephane Koffi to draw the Dons level after great work from Muss Carayol.

But Halliday's spot kick was decisive after Sam Page had handled in the box with 10 minutes to go.

With manager Paul Ince an interested onlooker from the stands, it was left to his assistant Ray Mathias and Assistant Academy Director Paul Heald to do his bidding on the touchline.

Charlie Shuter contests and early challenge.

But the pair were far more involved than anyone in stadiummk would have liked with barely 10 minutes on the clock as Carbon, whose trial period with the club has been plagued by injury problems, again had to be withdrawn.

The disappointment was clear on the veteran centre half's face as he headed down the tunnel. The opportunity to impress instead fell to 17-year-old Ollie Thorne who took his place in central defence alongside Kieran Murphy.

There was no question that Norwich had the best two chances of the half, the first coming on 14 minutes after a mistake from Liam Kelly, whose blind backpass to the right side of the penalty area was intercepted by David Strihavka.

With Dons 'keeper Nathan Abbey drawn towards him, the Canaries forward failed to find a yellow shirt with his cutback and when Chris Martin rounded Abbey with the loose ball, Miles Mitchell-Coop was able to stab it clear.

The Dons were still a threat though with the busy Stephane Koffi working extremely hard and the pacy Muss Carayol providing a dangerous outlet on the right.

Kieran Murphy challenges David Strihavka.

But it was the man on the opposite flank who produced the first decent effort for the home side as Sam Collins chased Charlie Shuter's ball over the top, turned Michael Spillane and curled a shot just over the top from the edge of the box.

But how Norwich failed to take the lead four minutes before the break was beyond most in the stadium as Strihavka wasted a glorious chance.

Lee Croft made good inroads down the Norwich right and when his cut back found the Czech striker, his chipped effort was too clever and bounced off the bar.

But it didn't take long for the visitors to make up for it as Jarvis gave them the lead less than a minute after the restart - Croft's excellent ball from the right headed home emphatically by the Canaries midfielder.

Koffi should have replied shortly afterwards when he had a free run onto a beautifully inviting cross from Carayol but the Dons youngster placed his header wide to his disappointment.

Ollie Thorne holds firm in defence.

Again Koffi was close when he stretched to reach Murphy's flick from a Kelly throw, but he would have his moment in front of the Cowshed with 18 minutes to go.

Again Carayol terrorised Robert Eagle and fired in a low cross Matthew Gilks could only parry. Koffi was on the spot and slammed in the rebound from close range.

It was reward for a hard night's work from Koffi but parity lasted just eight minutes as Page was penalised for handing a cross from the left.

Halliday stepped up to the mark and sent Abbey the wrong way to secure the points.

Sam Page and Ollie Thorne put in an aerial challenge.

Dons: Abbey, Mitchell-Coop, Page, Kelly, Murphy, Carbon (Thorne 13), Carayol, Shuter (King 62), Koffi, Powell (Chicksen 46), Collins.

Subs not used: Walker, Delderfield.

Norwich: Gilks, Cave-Brown (Matthews 71), Eagle, Jarvis, Halliday, Spillane, Croft, Murray, Strihavka (Renton 83), Martin (Arnold 87), Smart.

Subs not used: Lathrope, McLean