OXFORD United suffered an Emirates FA Cup third round humbling as the U’s were knocked out with a 3-1 defeat at third tier side Exeter City.
Matt Phillips had given United the lead just before the quarter of an hour mark, but a Demetri Mitchell brace turned the tie around by half-time.
Vincent Harper then added a classy third for the Grecians less than 20 minutes into the second half, to consign Gary Rowett to his first defeat as U’s head coach.
Rowett made eight changes to the side which drew 1-1 at Preston North End in Sky Bet Championship, with Sam Long, Greg Leigh and Matt Phillips the trio who kept their place in the starting XI.
United started the tie strongly, with Siriki Dembele, playing in a central role behind Dane Scarlett, at the heart of everything.
The 28-year-old played through Scarlett with eight minutes on the clock, and the latter took a touch before seeing a left-footed strike deflect out for a corner which came to nothing.
The U’s took the lead though just before the quarter of an hour mark via a wonderful counter-attack.
Dembele brought the ball away from a Grecians corner and fed Scarlett down the right-hand side. Scarlett then played a brilliant pinpoint pass across to the back post, where Phillips applied the finish.
From that point in the first half though, the Grecians were broadly in control of the tie.
Caleb Watts did exceptionally well to keep the ball in on the left-hand byline and his cross was headed against his own post by Long.
A tidy move midway through the half saw the Grecians level the tie. Harper crossed to the back post, where Mitchell buried a half-volley first-time past Matt Ingram.
Mitchell was the danger man for the Grecians, and his right wing cross to the back post was met by Harper, who headed straight at Ingram.
At the other end, Johnly Yfeko made a great block to throw himself in front of a thunderous Louie Sibley effort from the edge of the penalty box.
With five minutes to go until the break, Mitchell put the home side in front. A loose ball fell kindly for the winger, who arrowed a strike into the bottom corner past Ingram to provide the Grecians with a half-time lead.
It took 12 minutes into the second period for the first meaningful sight of goal, as a Grecians corner saw Trsitan Crama head over from close range.
Dembele struck from 20 yards out at the other end, but his effort took a nick and landed safely in the gloves of Joe Whitworth.
Dembele continued to be United’s main creator, and he came centrally to thread through Scarlett, who arrowed a left-footed strike across goal and wide.
Rowett made a double change to try and impact the game, introducing new signing Alex Matos for his debut, and Tyler Goodrham, in place of midfield pairing Idris El Mizouni and Josh McEachran.
Seconds later though, the home side doubled their lead when Harper struck across goal and inside the far post with a clever left-footed finish.
Rowett then turned to his bench again, switching Hidde ter Avest and Phillips out for Peter Kioso and Przemyslaw Placheta respectively.
The Grecians kept coming though, and Ingram was forced into a smart stop at his near post to thwart a stinging effort from substitute Jack Aitchison.
With nine minutes to go, the U’s found themselves down to 10 men after Goodrham was shown a straight red card after tussling for the ball too aggressively for the referee’s liking, with the implication an elbow was used.
Seven minutes were added on by the fourth official, but with a player less and two goals to catch, the likelihood of a comeback was slim.
Exeter City (3-4-2-1): Whitworth; Fitzwater, Crama, Yfeko (Francis 46); McMillan, Woods, Richards (McDonald 85), Harper; Mitchell (Jones 75), Watts (Aitchison 67); Magennis (Alli 67).
Unused subs: MacDonald, Niskanen, Doyle, Bird.
Booked: Richards.
Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Ingram; ter Avest (Kioso 70), Long, Thorniley, Leigh; El Mizouni (Matos 64), McEachran (Goodrham 64); Phillips (Placheta 70), Dembele (Ferdinan 89), Sibley; Scarlett.
Unused subs: Cumming, Brown, Vaulks, Rodrigues.
Booked: Scarlett, Sibley, Ferdinan.
Referee: Scott Oldham (Lancashire)
Attendance: 6,149 (640 away)