Harrow Borough manager David Howell says AFC Wimbledon's pre-match mention of the words "whipping boys" helped his team undo the Dons.

Howell said his bottom of the table side needed little motivation after reading the comment - and adding to Terry Brown's woes was always on the cards after his on-line adventure.

"I looked through a few websites to get a feel of the match on Thursday and I read that AFC Wimbledon were playing the league's whipping boys," Howell said.

"How we were classed as the team everyone walks over just four games in, I do not know. It spurred us on. It was always going to.

"We had a chat about the article and I told the team to use it as their motivation. I was delighted with the reaction - it was my team talk done before we even got in the changing room."

Motivation is something the misfiring Dons players could do with a little of right now.

This shamefully half-hearted defeat, despite two blockbusters from the fearless visitors, has hit the recovery plan for six.

A win was understandably expected to right the wrongs of the sorry Bank Holiday weekend before it.

But the Dons were out thought as well as being out battled - and the Dons chief read his team the riot act, keeping his charges locked in the changing room for over an hour after the full-time whistle as the interrogation began.

Ironically, excusing Harrow's against-the-run-of-play opener, the Kingsmeadow side played their best football for years inside the opening 20 minutes.

Winger Tony Finn tore Harrow to pieces, and in the third minute fed Steve Ferguson but his first-time shot ballooned over the bar.

The tempo was high and the going good. That was until evergreen Jamie Lawrence hit a bolt from the blue eight minutes in after haphazard defending gave the midfielder a second bite from outside the box.

The reply was immediate. Sam Hatton's corner was met by Jake Leberl, and Harrow's lead lasted a matter of moments.

Then, Michael Haswell's corner struck the bar and Richard Jolly's header forced Boro's third choice keeper Gary Ross into a one-handed tip over.

Soon, striker Daniel Webb somehow failed to connect with Finn's teasing cross when totally unmarked. His glaring miss could have turned the game but Webb's gaff seemed to suck the life out of the home side as the grey clouds grew.

The second half left fans both scratching their heads and pulling their hair out.

Albert Adomah's goal on the hour may have been one of the best since AFC Wimbledon's reincarnation in 2002 but that was of little comfort.

Not even legend Marcus Gayle's introduction could spark the lacklustre home side, who slipped to a second defeat of the season.

Gayle came the closest with a fierce half-volley but Harrow should have been on easy street in the final few minutes after forward Elliot Onochie missed a late one-on-one with Andy Little as the Dons were booed off.