AFC Wimbledon 4-0 Carlisle United: New low for Blues

Matty Stevens' hat-trick and Cameron Harper's own-goal sent the Cumbrians to a heavy defeat - and Wimbledon could have had more.

The thrashing came amid a dire performance from Mike Williamson's side, and Carlisle are now at the foot of the EFL after fellow strugglers Morecambe and Accrington Stanley both picked up wins.

It is little more than United deserve given the bereft standard of their football at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, as the Dons celebrated returning home after last month's floods.

Stevens headed home a corner in the eighth minute and then pounced on a Harry Lewis save to double their lead in the 39th minute.

Harper's own goal made it three in first-half stoppage time then an unmarked Stevens completed his hat-trick early in the second half.

Carlisle offered painfully little at both ends of the pitch as their struggling season moved further into crisis, this their eighth defeat from 11 league games.

Williamson made two changes from United's previous league game at Colchester United, with Ben Barclay and Dominic Sadi coming into the XI.

Wimbledon's first goal came in the eighth minute (Image: Richard Parkes)

Barclay replaced Terell Thomas, who is on international duty with Saint Lucia, while Sadi took the place of Luke Armstrong, who dropped to the bench.

Fit-again Callum Guy and Taylor Charters were among United's substitutes.

Wimbledon's side, meanwhile, included three changes from their previous league outing, with James Ball, James Tilley and Callum Maycock taking the places of James Furlong, Jake Reeves and Joe Pigott.

The home side soon established themselves as the dominant side, even though Maycock was first into the book for a foul on Josh Vela as the Blues midfielder, playing to the left of Charlie Wyke, counter-attacked.

United were unable to build any momentum and were soon behind.

Myles Hippolyte, lively in the opening stages, won a corner on the right, and Tilley's deep delivery was met by Stevens in space, and his header skidded through the box and past the diving Lewis.

From there, Wimbledon kept the pressure on United, who were unable to string enough passes together or show the necessary sharpness to evade the hosts' press.

Tilley saw a free-kick deflect wide before his low cross was a whisker away from being converted by the sliding Isaac Ogundere.

After Harrison Neal saw a shot blocked at the other end, the game was then held up for five minutes as ref Neil Hair pulled up injured. Assistant Ryan Williams took the whistle as fourth official Stephen Brown stepped up to run the line.

United were then reprieved again when they lost possession on halfway and Stevens sent Omar Bugiel away, the striker turning away from Jon Mellish but rifling high and wide.

Carlisle had plenty more defending to do as Wimbledon's central midfielders Alistair Smith and Hippolyte dominated, and survived another scare when they gave the ball away and Stevens was fed, Ben Barclay to the rescue with a timely challenge.

United, though, soon conceded the second as Wimbledon again pounced.

First, Wyke was beaten in the air and the Dons built another attack, Smith sharpest in midfield to shoot from 25 yards, and Lewis's save popped into the path of Stevens, who had reacted the quickest and made no mistake from the rebound.

Jackson's side remained on top and Bugiel almost made it three when combining with Stevens, before Hippolyte sliced another chance wide from the left.

And the next goal duly came in the third minute of first-half added time, as another Tilley corner deflected in, the ball appearing to strike United's Cameron Harper before crossing the line.

It capped a truly dreadful first half, and Williamson brought on Armstrong and Jack Robinson at the break, removing Wyke and Archie Davies.

But Carlisle only contrived to concede another dismal goal as, after clearing a corner, they failed to prevent Tilley curling over another cross, and Stevens was somehow unmarked at the far post to head home.

United's owners, the Piataks, were accompanied by officials from Jacksonville as they watched United's thrashing at Plough Lane (Image: Richard Parkes)

On the hour mark, Bugiel was the next home player to escape a marker as his volley went close.

United brought on Callum Guy and Taylor Charters for their first league appearances of the season, and had a half-chance after some miscommunication between home keeper Owen Goodman and a defender, but Barclay's header past the stranded keeper was kept out by the Dons defence.

Carlisle forced little in terms of chances, Mellish driving the ball across goal but nobody getting a touch, before home sub Joe Pigott had a goal disallowed for a foul ten minutes from time.

Guy went close from outside the box but this was such a rare attempt that home fans taunted the Blues by singing, 'You've had a shot', before turning their mockery on Blues boss Williamson with a chant of 'You're getting sacked in the morning'.

Carlisle's late efforts produced nothing and there were boos from the away end as the final whistle brought a wretched afternoon to an end, United now bottom of League Two on goal difference after Morecambe won at Barrow and Accrington won at Gillingham. 

AFC Wimbledon: Goodman, Ogundere (Johnson 90), Harbottle, Ball, Tilley, Neufville (Biler 76), Hippolyte (Furlong 90), Smith, Maycock, Bugiel (Pigott 72), Stevens (Kelly 72). Not used: Ward, O’Toole.

Goals: Stevens 8, 39, 51, Harper 45(og).

Booked: Maycock, Harbottle.

United: Lewis, Barclay, Lavelle, Mellish, Davies (Robinson 46), Harper, Neal, Vela (Charters 64), Biggins, Sadi (Guy 64), Wyke (Armstrong 46). Not used: Breeze, Ellis, Dudik.     

Booked: Barclay, Vela.

Ref: Neil Hair.

Crowd: 8,331 (792 United fans).