Exeter City missed the chance to move into the League Two play-off places as they crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season away at Wimbledon.
The Dons were clinical in front of goal as they put four goals past the Grecians with Matt Tubbs, former Torquay United loanee Adebayo Azeez (2) and Adebayo Akinfenwa on target.
In comparison, City were wasteful. They had numerous opportunities at various stages of the game, but failed to take them and only had a 90th-minute consolation from Liam Sercombe to show for their effort.
The Grecians made three changes to the side that beat Cheltenham on Boxing Day. Graham Cummins and David Wheeler were paired in attack, in place of Clinton Morrison and Tom Nichols, while Christian Ribeiro came in for Matt Grimes.
The in-demand Exeter midfielder was not even among the substitutes, adding further fuel to the rumours he will soon be off to Swansea in a club record £1.75 million deal when the transfer window opens in January. The official line was that he was ill.
Ribeiro's inclusion saw him start as a right-sided centre back with Scot Bennett moving into the midfield and the former Scunthorpe man did well in the early stages forcing Azeez wide, although his shot still needed saving by James Hamon.
The Grecians, with Liam Sercombe playing as a wing-back, threatened when he cut in from his right flank and skied high with a left-footed shot. Sercombe was then caught napping as Wimbledon attacked down his side, Callum Kennedy crossed low for Tubbs to turn in at the near post.
City responded with Ribeiro surging forward and creating a chance for Harley, which he dragged wide from 25 yards and Barry Fuller was booked for a crude tackle on Cummins.
The striker then fired against the post from the resulting free kick, but things generally were just not coming off for the Grecians.
Tubbs' brilliant cross should have resulted in a second goal for the Dons, but Azeez failed to get a decent contact on his header, while Sercombe came close to an equaliser for Exeter, but his shot was cleared off the line.
The Grecians were in control of the game and spurned another great chance when Bennett pulled the ball back to Cummins and he skied over the bar from 10 yards. It was the third of three glorious opportunities in a first half where they had again played well, but had nothing to show for their efforts.
Cummins was replaced by Nichols during the half-time break, but despite a bright start, the Grecians fell two behind when Wimbledon countered from an Exeter corner. The ball eventually came to Azeez, in acres of space and eight yards out, and his scuffed shot was deemed to have crossed the line by the assistant referee.
A mistake by Bennett led to Dannie Bulman trying his luck from distance, but Hamon was equal to it and it was Bennett's last contribution as he was replaced by Jordan Moore-Taylor soon after.
The Grecians had lost their way, although Ribeiro tried to get them going with a typically storming run that led to Wheeler turning and firing narrowly wide from 10 yards.
Harley then had another great chance when a deep free-kick was headed down to him, but his effort was brilliantly saved by James Shea. At the other end, Azeez killed the Grecians off when he picked the ball up 35 yards out, ran completely unchallenged and smashed the ball past Hamon.
Azeez was replaced before the game had even restarted by Akinfenwa – who scored their fourth from close range after another counter-attack.
There was some small cheer for the Grecians in stoppage time when Wheeler showed great pace to get to the by-line and pull the ball back to Sercombe, who side-footed home for his second goal of the season. But it was nothing more than scant consolation for the below-par Grecians.
AFC Wimbledon (4-3-3): Shea; Fuller (Sutherland 80), Barrett, Goodman, Kennedy; Francomb, Bulman, Pell; Rigg (Fitzpatrick 76), Tubbs, Azeez (Akinfenwa 71). Substitutes (not used): McDonnell (gk), A Bennett, Harrison, G Oakley.
Booked: Fuller.
Exeter City (4-3-1-2): Hamon; Ribeiro; Butterfield, M Oakley, Woodman; Sercombe, Bennett (Moore-Taylor 60), Harley; Nicholls (Morrison 75); Cummins (Nichols h-t), Wheeler. Substitutes (not used): Pym (gk), Keohane, Davies, Tillson.
Referee: T Robinson.
Attendance: 4,417.
