Hayes & Yeading gave hosts AFC Wimbledon a late Christmas present going down to the heaviest League defeat in the Clubs short history.

A shocking start for United saw the hosts hit the target three times in just seventeen minutes to effectively end the game as a contest. Just six minutes had been played when a long hopeful punt upfield saw Tom Cadmore appear to let the ball go over his head whereby the ever dangerous Danny Kedwell nipped in to take the ball around Simon Overland before rolling it into the now vacant net.

Worse was to come four minutes later when a corner from former United man Steven Gregory was headed out as far as Luis Cumbers who drove through a crowd of players from the edge of the area and past the unsighted Overland.

Two down after ten minutes was bad enough and just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. A superb curling pass down the right flank from Jay Conroy caught out Toby Little, Lewis Taylor latching onto the ball and firing a low cross to the far post where Kedwell arrived to tap home his second - game over.

The home side continued to pump balls at the centre of the United defence, just minutes after going three down it could have got even worse when Matt Ruby misjudged a long ball that Jon Main took in his stride only to fire wide of Overland's near post.

25 minutes had passed before Dons keeper Seb Brown was forced into a save, James Mulley playing the ball over his shoulder to Craig Watkins who in turn found Steve Basham, the Luton loanee making space before hitting a left foot shot that Brown did well to push away for a corner.

Just after the half hour mark the home side scored a fourth, Cumbers cross from the right was allowed to reach the far post where it was collected by Ricky Wellard who again crossed the ball, this time Main arrived to loop a header over a somewhat static Overland in the United goal.

Three minutes remained in the half when to add to their woes United were reduced to ten men as Justin Cochrane was shown a straight red card for what appeared to be a two footed lunge.

Final shot of the half saw Basham go close as his shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide by Conroy's outstretched foot.

Garry Haylock made a double change at half time with Watkins and Basham being replaced by Scott Fitzgerald and Marc Canham. Indeed it was ten man United who created the first chance of the second period although it was thought around the terraces that maybe The Wombles had declared at half time! Just two minutes into the second period a Dale Binns centre from the left was met by a flying Mulley but his header was wide of the far post.

The home side were soon back in their stride though, Wellard latched onto a partially cleared ball but fired over from 20 yards and then just a minute later the same player picked off a wayward Danny Allen-Page pass before feeding the ball to Cumbers who saw his drive go just wide of the upright.

After the hour mark, Cumbers again went close when he met a free-kick under pressure from Cadmore and at the other end Mulley got on the end of a Toby Little cross but Brown was equal to his header, diving to grab the ball at the foot of his post.

Fifteen minutes remained when Main raced onto a slide rule Cumbers pass only to be foiled by a fine block save from Overland and then just when it looked like some pride may be restored by drawing the second half another error at the back cost United a fifth. A throughball towards Main saw Cadmore try to play the man instead of the ball and the agile Main swerved past the attempted block before rounding Overland and rolling the ball home from the tightest of angles.

The dying moments could have seen United slump to their biggest ever defeat but Overland saved twice, on each occasion denying Lewis Taylor, the second at point blank range as the midfielder was put in on goal by Main, certainly an extremely bad day at the office, the plus point being it can all be put right in 48 hours against Ebbsfleet, we hope.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Esmond James.