Tottenham finally booked an FA Cup fifth round date at Leeds with a comprehensive win at White Hart Lane last night.
An early goal by Andy Sinton and a second-half double from Allan Nielsen saw them emerge comfortable winners of the fourth round replay and earn a visit to manager George Graham's former team.
Spurs were without the charismatic David Ginola after the Frenchman failed a fitness test on the hamstring injury.
But that was almost a minor setback compared to Wimbledon's loss of a quintet of injured troops including Kenny Cunningham and Ben Thatcher, the full-backs who had so impressively defied Graham's team a week ago.
Right-back deputy Duncan Jupp, making only his fourth start of the season, just could not cope with the pace and industry of Sinton, Ginola's replacement, who stormed down the left wing in only the third minute before cutting in to send a spectacular rising cross-shot in the far corner.
Spurs had ample possession to finish off the contest by half-time and both Nielsen and midfield partner Steffen Freund were close to further goals before the break.
But Wimbledon were systematically worn down in the second half. Les Ferdinand muscled past defender Chris Perry to set up Danish midfielder Nielsen with an unchallenged tap-in 10 minutes after the interval. Referee Dermot Gallagher ignored Wimbledon's appeals that it was foul play by Ferdinand.
And Nielsen landed his eighth goal of the season five minutes from time. It was a freakish affair with Jason Euell's clearance blasting off the Dane on the edge of the penalty area and flying into the corner of the net.
This was their fourth meeting in 18 days, with the previous three all ending in stalemate.
Once Sinton had made the early breakthrough the rest was fairly inevitable even though Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear went for broke at the start of the second half and sent on young striker Carl Cort for the hapless Jupp.
Spurs were content to soak up largely unchannelled long-ball pressure before breaking out to strike emphatically. It was anguish for Kinnear as the Spurs fans told him what they thought about his scathing remarks about Ginola.
Tottenham Hotspur: Walker, Carr, Campbell, Vega, Edinburgh, Anderton (Taricco 87), Freund (Young 89), Nielsen, Sinton, Ferdinand (Armstrong 87), Iversen. Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Dominguez. Booked: Freund. Goals: Sinton 3, Nielsen 56, 85.
Wimbledon: Sullivan, Jupp (Cort 46), Perry, Blackwell, Kimble, Ardley, Earle, Roberts (Hughes 80), Kennedy, Leaburn, Euell. Subs Not Used: Heald, Castledine, Hodges. Booked: Jupp.
Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).
