Dowell scored both his goals in the first half, in a game that was dominated by Norwich even though the hosts scored just before half-time after a shot from distance had rattled off crossbar.

Head coach Daniel Farke handed debuts to Milot Rashica and Billy Gilmour, while goalkeeper Angus Gunn made his second debut for the club having signed from Southampton in the summer.

Norwich controlled the play in the first half and were on the front foot early when Dowell crossed for Jordan Hugill to head home, only for the Canaries’ striker to have his effort ruled out for a push on a defender.

Bali Mumba, who was a threat throughout the opening 45 minutes, then burst down the right and cut inside before having an effort at goal blocked.

The deadlock was then broken on 20 minutes when Dowell won the ball back high up the pitch, beat a defender and fired a low shot inside the near post.

Lukas Rupp then had an effort saved, from 20 yards out, before he set up the second goal with a lovely through pass. Hugill had timed his run well to beat the offside trap before he cleverly squarred a ball to Dowell who fired home off the underside of the crossbar.

At that point King’s Lynn had barely threatened the Norwich goal, with 40 minutes played, but new signing Junior Morias crashed a 25 yard strike off the underside of the bar. Gunn had dived to save the effort so was then left helpless as Ross Barrows followed up to tap the ball home into an empty net.

The second half started slowly in terms of chances with a Tyler Denton free kick headed over at the back post.

However, on 57 minutes King’s Lynn then made a number of changes as academy players Michael Gyasi, Tyler Knowles and Albi Howe came on, alongside a trialist keeper and five other outfield trialist players.

That saw Farke make two changes as he sent on under-23s players Jonathan Tomkinson and Rob Nizet to replace Rupp and Placheta.

On 68 minutes a lovely passing move then created space for Nizet on the left but his low cross was cut out at the near post as Cantwell looked to convert.

Nizet then went close to getting a superb goal himself as Dowell squared a ball to him along the 18-yeard line, but his effort was off target.

Dowell had the chance to complete his hat-trick on 75 minutes when Hugill was brought down 20 yards from goal, but his free kick was over the bar. That was the last of the action for Dowell and Hugill as they were then replaced by Dan Adshead and Tom Dickson-Peters.

Cantwell continued to cause problems in the closing stages, and after setting up Nizet for a shot that appeared to be blocked by the hand of a King's Lynn defender, he then threaded a great ball into Idah who coolly slotted the ball past the keeper for 3-1.

King’s Lynn Town: Jones (GK), Barrows, Fernandez, Bowry (Sundire, 34), Bird, Denton, Coleman, Clunan, King, Morias, Omotayo.
Goals: Barrows (42)
Bookings: None

Norwich City: Gunn (GK) (McGovern, 45); Mumba (Giurgi, 88), Zimmermann, Omobamidele, Sørensen; Gilmour (Cantwell, 45), Rupp (Nizet, 62); Rashica (Idah, 45), Dowell (Adshead, 76), Placheta (Tomkinson, 62); Hugill (Dickson-Peters, 76).
Subs not used: McGovern (GK).
Goals: Dowell (20, 39), Idah (87)
Bookings: None

HT: 1-2
Venue: The Walks
Attendance: TBC

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