Wimbledon 0-3 Everton

Two goals from Everton striker Kevin Campbell helped Everton bring a halt to Wimbledon's 12-match unbeaten home run.

The Dons were destroyed after conceding three goals in a disastrous ten-minute spell in the second half.

Top scorer Kevin Campbell rattled home two quickfire headers, both set up by the boot of striker-turned-midfielder Danny Cadamarteri, before American Joe Max Moore added a third minutes later.

Everton, with an FA Cup quarter-final on their mind, rested Francis Jeffers and John Collins and were also without the suspended Nick Barmby.

But their replacements Moore and Cadamarteri, who had not started a Premiership game for almost a year, proved more than effective stand-ins as Everton inflicted only the third home defeat of the season on the Dons.

Walter Smith opted to play Cadamerteri wide on the right and Michael Ball wide on the left in an attacking midfield formation which produced some fluid, passing football.

The best first-half chance fell to Cadamarteri but he fired his free header straight at the feet of Neil Sullivan.

The Dons keeper had a narrow early escape when, despite being unchallenged, he spilt a simple Mark Pembridge corner and only a despairing dive managed to keep the ball from bouncing over the line.

But he was at fault early in the second half when Campbell headed Everton into the lead.

The side's had entered the interval deadlocked with Everton's fans perhaps beginning to wonder if Wimbledon's luck might hold out - but the dam burst eight minutes after the restart.

The breach was created by Cadamerteri, whose teasing runs down the right flank set up two carbon copy goals within eight minutes.

The first came on 53 minutes. His swirling cross caught Sullivan in two minds, and his hesitation in claiming the ball allowed Campbell to nod home his 11th of the season.

His 12th was not long coming as the partnership struck again in a virtual slow-motion repeat of the first goal.

And two minutes later Wimbledon were three behind as Campbell turned provider.

Released by a wonderful through ball from captain Don Hutchison, he slid a first-time cross over for the unmarked Moore to sidefoot under Sullivan.

The Dons managed only one shot on goal for the entire opening 45 minutes.

Save for a brief flurry after the restart, they were just as impotent in the second half.

On all but one occasion Richard Gough, David Weir and Richard Dunne coped adequately with the aerial threat of Carl Cort and Marcus Gayle.

The Dons are now only four points above the relegation zone while Everton move above West Ham into tenth.

Teams:

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Andersen, Hreidarsson, Kimble, Badir (Francis 76), Earle (Ardley 66), Euell, Leaburn (Andresen 66), Gayle, Cort.
Subs Not Used: Willmott, Davis.

Everton: Myhre, Dunne, Gough, Weir, Unsworth, Moore, Hutchison (Xavier 84), Pembridge, Ball, Cadamarteri, Campbell.
Subs Not Used: Collins, Gemmill, Jeffers, Simonsen. Booked: Moore.

Att: 13,172
Ref: G Barber (Tring, Herts).