Two goals inside three minutes in the second half undid Hastings against league leaders AFC Wimbledon in front of a 2,873 crowd at the Fans Stadium.

An inspired display by stand-in goalkeeper Greg Nessling kept the home side, who have now gone 71 games since their last league defeat, at bay for an hour.

Nessling, playing his first game of the season in place of the injured Danny Knowles, pulled off a succession of outstanding stops, the best of them a brilliant reflex save to turn Richard Butler's point-blank shot over the crossbar.

In the end, United paid the price for allowing Butler, Wimbledon's top scorer, too much freedom to roam.

The 19-year-old striker turned the Hastings defenders one way then the other on 61 minutes after running on to a superb ball from Robert Ursell before burying a shot beyond Nessling for his ninth goal of the season.

The same combination of Butler and Ursell unlocked United's defence again after 63 minutes. This time Nessling denied Butler on the edge of the box, but one-time Chelsea man Joe Sheerin chipped the rebound into the far corner of an empty net.

It finished 3-1 after the un-marked Sean Ray had rekindled Hastings hopes by turning in a Jimmy Elford pass in the 73rd minute, only for substitutes Martin Randall and former Horsham player Jamie Taylor to link up for Randall to net Wimbledon's third in injury time.

United's cause was not helped by the non-arrival of striker Chris Honey, who had problems en route to London.

Hastings manager Steve Lovell said: "It might have been a different game if Chris had turned up. We worked hard, but we should have believed in ourselves a bit more. I was disappointed we gave them a bit too much respect."