Some Wimbledon fans who made the journey to York last month but found the game postponed because the pitch was waterlogged may have decided to duck the rearranged game on a weekday and stay at home to watch the Champions League on TV. Those more in need of a Dons football fix who had anticipated a rail strike and booked their places on the supporters coach arrived nice and early in York, and many set off for some sightseeing and food before entering to Bootham Crescent for the nights’ entertainment.

What they saw was a direct York City side at the top of their game who shredded the Dons’ defence within half a minute of the start of the match. York kicked off towards the travelling supporters, immediately forcing back Danny Blanchett, and just a few seconds later took the lead as Michael Rankine sped past Paul Lorraine and left James Pullen helpless with a fine strike.

This was just a foretaste of what was to come, as Rankine and strike partner Richard Brodie continued to harass the back line. One such incursion ended with a yellow for Paul Lorraine - though his was the third foul the referee had seen, but he had given York the advantage for riding the previous two.

Before Wimbledon conceded their second they played some fine football and created a number of half-chances, the best of which fell to Nathan Elder on 14 minutes, when he was given the freedom of the York box but failed to bury his header. That missed opportunity proved costly. Another passing move involving Ricky Wellard and the busy Kennedy Adjei broke down in midfield when Glenn Poole failed to make himself available for a return ball, and soon a foul by Ben Judge, left rudely exposed by the breakaway, and yellow carded, saw York’s first penalty awarded and duly dispatched by Brodie.

But credit to the Dons: they continued to play their passing game, but all too often an over-elaborate passing move broke down when a more direct approach may well have proved the better option. But on occasions this approach worked. In the 20th minute a fine move of more than ten passes delivered the ball to Luke Moore on the edge of the box. His attempt from 20 yards saw the home keeper, Michael Ingham, scrambling across his goal and relieved to see the shot go just wide.

A further passing move, which ventured with some purpose into York’s half, broke down, and the hosts went up the other end and put the visitors to the sword. A through-ball to Brodie split the Dons defence, and the England C international rounded James Pullen and put the game effectively beyond the reach of Terry Brown’s men.

But Wimbledon continued to press forward, and in the 23rd minute a move involving Wellard and Steven Gregory saw the ball played inside the York left-back to an unmarked Elder, but his powerful shot flashed just wide of the far post. Two minutes later Jay Conroy put in a fine cross, and again Elder missed the target with his header.

The difference now between York and Wimbledon was simply the danger posed by the home strikers, who seemed likely to score from any attack the home side cared to mount, whereas Elder and Moore threatened but failed to convince. An exception was when Moore was fouled in the 33rd minute. He picked himself up and from the edge of the box let loose a fine strike, which Ingham did well to parry and hold at the second attempt.

But the Dons defence were suckered into conceding another penalty on 35 minutes. A fine cross could not be held by Pullen, and as the ball broke free Lorraine upended Brodie; a second yellow seemed likely, but the referee kept the card in his pocket. Brodie put away the penalty for a thoroughly deserved first-half hat-trick.

Just two minutes before half-time, a fine move by Elder and Gregory found Poole in acres of space and he unleashed a shot from fully 35 yards - but Ingham’s one-handed save, turning the ball away for a corner, was just as dramatic. The stats show that there were more chances for the Dons than York in the first half, since two of their shots were from the penalty spot. But chances mean nothing. It’s putting the ball in the net that counts; York had done that with calm and assurance, and the Dons had not.

The second half was, somewhat predictably, a more staid affair, but York remained dangerous, and the game was even more one-sided, the Dons having to wait until the 82nd minute for a shot on target. The introduction of Brett Johnson in place of the out-of-sorts Lorraine at half time had been a brave attempt to perform emergency surgery on the back line, but it was too late. The change should perhaps have been made after 17 minutes, when the score was 2-0. Hindsight is a great thing. Inevitably, the Minstermen added to their total on 72 minutes, when Michael Rankine shot past Pullen at the second attempt.

Officially there were 123 visiting fans on the terrace, but a further 30 or so were in the main stand. But from wherever you watched this match you would have seen Wimbledon outclassed and, more disturbingly, outpowered by York City, who look very good going into the lottery of the playoffs, which now, barring miracles, were beyond the Dons’ reach.