MATCH STATS MK DONS: Baker, McClenahan, Lewington, Morgan, Chorley, Small, McLeod, Edds, Puncheon, Wilbraham, McKoy Subs: Platt (for Wilbraham, 66), Kamara (for McLeod, 84), Carrilho (for Lewington, 84), Smith, Crooks NORWICH CITY: Green, Colin, Shackell, Fleming, Charlton, Marney, Brennan, Safri, McVeigh, Thorne, McKenzie. Subs: Henderson (for McVeigh, 78), Doherty (for Thorne, 101), Jarrett (for Marney, 105), Ward, Rossi Jarvis. SCORERS: Norwich: Leon McKenzie (120) TOP CANARY: EDP: Dean Marney PinkUn Poll: Jim Brennan (38%) ATTENDANCE: 4,777 REFEREE: Tony Bates (Staffordshire) EXTRA TIME: First half: 1 min Second half: 4 mins YELLOW CARDS: Norwich: McKenzie (foul on Lewington, 27), Safri (foul on Edds, 63) RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: MK Dons 4, Norwich 9 SHOTS OFF TARGET: MK Dons 11, Norwich 12 CORNERS: MK Dons 4, Norwich 9 FOULS:  MK Dons 9, Norwich 26 OFFSIDES:  MK Dons 2, Norwich 9

Tuesday August 23, 2005
CHRIS WISE

Leon McKenzie spared Norwich City the agony of a penalty shoot-out when he struck in the final minute of injury time to take a misfiring Norwich City side into the second round of the Carling Cup.

The striker pounced on a loose ball after a Jim Brennan shot had been parried by keeper Matt Baker to settle a disappointing game in which the League One hosts had given as good as they got over 120 gruelling minutes.

The Dons could easily have won the game themselves with skipper Ben Chorley missing from the penalty spot 15 minutes earlier following a foul from Jason Shackell and had every right to feel hard done by when McKenzie’s close-range effort trickled over the line.

But the Canaries weren’t complaining after finally claiming their first win of the season at the fifth time of asking.

It was a far from convincing performance from an under-strength side, but the result was all that mattered on the night and now Nigel Worthington’s team will be aiming to build on this hard-fought victory when they entertain Leeds in the Championship on Saturday.

With no fewer than six players unavailable through injury, including late withdrawals Dean Ashton (ankle injury) and Darren Huckerby, the Canaries were down to the bare bones for this cup clash, with Academy youngster Rossi Jarvis being drafted in to help fill the bench.

The selection problems gave Peter Thorne the chance to make his first start for the Canaries, with Leon McKenzie also returning to action after being a substitute in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Southampton.

McKenzie quickly announced his return with a fourth minute snap-shot from just outside the area which was only narrowly wide of the target.

But, for the most part, the visitors were on the back foot in the early stages with a lively Dons side, cheered on by a surprisingly vocal set of fans, having much more of the ball and causing the visiting defence one or two problems.

MINE OR YOURS? Leon Mckenzie and Gary Doherty debate over who scored the winning goal in extra time.

Norwich keeper Robert Green needed to be alert in the 10th minute when Jason Puncheon got the better of Jurgen Colin on the right and delivered a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, while Izale McLeod was grateful to see the offside flag after making a complete hash of a Wade Small cross when well placed in the area.

The home side’s pressure gradually petered out, and with both sides struggling to string passes together the remainder of the half was a somewhat scrappy affair. But, having said that, City did waste two glorious chances to take the lead before the break with McKenzie the guilty party on each occasion. Just after the half-hour mark he somehow contrived to head Paul McVeigh’s cross from the right wide of the target from close range after getting behind the final defender. Five minutes later the striker side-footed wastefully wide of a pretty much unguarded net from some 12 yards out after Dons' keeper Matt Baker had done well to stop a fierce, low shot from the fast-breaking Jim Brennan.

The Dons had a great chance to go in front as well, with an unmarked Puncheon shooting wildly over the bar from inside the box following an excellent cross from Small. Overall 0-0 was a fair scoreline for both sides at the interval.

First-half: MK Dons 0, Norwich City 0

There was an early flurry of activity at the start of the second period with Green tipping over a dangerous cross-cum-shot from Small, and Thorne and Brennan both missing the target from distance at the other.

But the excitement didn’t last and the crowd had to wait until the 72nd minute for the next meaningful incident — a rising drive from Dons’ midfielder Gareth Edds which whizzed just over the crossbar.

Brennan also screwed one just wide for Norwich but there was precious little to cheer the punters until the third minute of injury time when the visitors went desperately close to winning the game without the need for an extra 30 minutes.

The Norwich fans behind the goal were ready to celebrate when Thorne met Marney’s right-wing corner with a firm header, but Baker produced a superb reflex save to keep it out and then a defender made a dramatic goal-line clearance to block the striker’s follow-up effort and take the game into extra time.

Second-half: MK Dons 0, Norwich City 0

The Dons were given a wonderful opportunity to get their noses in front right at the end of the first period of extra time when they were awarded a penalty. There was absolutely no doubt about the validity of the award, with Jason Shackell clearly tripping substitute Malvin Kamara as he raced into the box but to the relief of the City supporters the hosts couldn’t take their big chance.

Skipper Chorley’s woeful spot kick cleared the Norwich bar by some distance and from that moment onwards it was the visitors who finally began to take the upper hand.

McKenzie and Doherty both wasted reasonable chances in the second period before City finally went and got the all-important goal with 119 minutes and 30 seconds on the clock.

Brennan did well to burst through the inside-left channel before letting fly from the edge of the box, and when Baker could only parry his shot a combination of McKenzie and Doherty bundled the ball over the line, with McKenzie claiming the final touch.

There were claims for handball and offside from the disappointed hosts when the ball trickled into the net but referee Tony Bates allowed the goal to stand and a mighty relieved City side were able to celebrate a place in the second round of the competition.

Result: MK Dons 0, Norwich City 1 (AET)