NORTHAMPTON TOWN RESERVES 0
MK DONS RESERVES 4

Sam Baldock hit a superb double as MK Dons registered their first Pontin's Holidays Combination win of the season with a 4-0 hammering of Northampton at Sixfields.

Baldock struck once in each half to sandwich goals from Drewe Broughton and Matt Carbon as the Dons reserves cruised to a comfortable win.

Spurred by his recent inclusion in the first team squad, 18-year-old Baldock was the spearhead of a Dons side once again filled with experienced professionals.

But among the outstanding performers were four Academy players: Miles Mitchell-Coop, Adam Chicksen, Ollie Thorne and Liam Kelly.

The experienced visitors dominated the first half and played at a tempo Northampton found difficult to cope with.

In midfield, Hadfield was particularly authoritative, allowing Luke Howell to join in with attacks whenever possible.

Drewe Broughton works the Cobblers defence.

Indeed, the two combined to great effect half way through the half to allow Howell space to dribble into the box, eventually teeing up Scott Taylor who shot straight at Chris Dunn.

With Carbon letting little get past him at the other end, the Dons were making all the running. Howell joined up well with the attack again on 28 minutes, gathering Broughton's smart lay-off and slipping a ball through to Baldock in the box, but the young striker's deft finish bounced unfortunately off the far post.

Taylor shot straight at Dunn after a tremendous cross-field pass from Kelly as the Dons turned the screw and it came as no surprise when they took the lead on 34 minutes.

One-touch football through midfield between Mitchell-Coop, Kelly and Howell saw the ball fed into Broughton from the right, and when the big striker stepped over it, Baldock touched the ball round his marker and rammed a shot high past Dunn at his near post.

The Dons changed to 4-3-3 at the break and continued to dominate, but Northampton missed a golden chance to draw level just three minutes into the half.

Scott Taylor shoots from Liam Kelly's crossfield pass.

Winger John Marzetti is was that scampered clear of the Dons defence in the inside right channel, but he almost had too long to think about the chance as he dragged horribly wide of Abbey's right-hand post.

Dons made Cobblers pay for it, but the ease with which they were finding space in midfield made this anything but surprising.

Broughton made it two on 77 minutes, Baldock breaking clear on the right and squaring for the big man in the middle with the goalkeeper drawn early.

That broke the backs of the home side and Carbon added a third four minutes later.

Kelly took a short corner and delivered deep to the far post, Broughton headed the ball down and when Baldock couldn't convert, Carbon drilled home from close range.

But Baldock would have the final say, racing clear onto Hadfield's pass with five minutes to go and confidently shooting across Dunn left footed into the far corner.

Dons: Abbey, Mitchell-Coop, Thorne, Carbon, Chicksen, Taylor, Hadfield, Howell, Kelly, Broughton, Baldock.

Subs not used: Walker, Koffi, Williams, King.

Sam Baldock celebrates his first goal with Liam Kelly.