A hat-trick from veteran striker Steve Flack helped Exeter on their way to a five-goal thrashing of rock bottom Southport.
Flack hit a hat-trick with three clinical headers inside 13 minutes. Lee Phillips and Paul Buckle completed the scoring and Southport's misery was completed when defender Jerome Fitzgerald was ordered off.
Flack put the Grecians ahead with a little over two minutes gone. He climbed superbly to nod Matthew Gill's perfectly-flighted cross into the top corner.
Two minutes later Flack struck again. The impressive Andy Taylor drifted in a dangerous cross to the far post which goalkeeper Steve Dickinson did well to keep out, but when the ball broke to Flack he headed home a simple goal over the stranded goalkeeper.
Number three came in similar fashion. Taylor was again the provider when he drifted another fine cross to the far post and Flack headed the ball powerfully into the corner for a hat-trick inside 13 magical minutes for the Grecians.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors on the half hour mark. Phillips broke free inside the box and was brought crashing to the ground by Fitzgerald. The referee pointed straight to the spot and had no hesitation in brandishing a straight red card.
Phillips stroked home the penalty to put Exeter four goals up inside 32 minutes.
After the break Exeter continued to dominate but looked less of a threat until Buckle was picked out by Jake Edwards and thumped the ball home from close range.
Wayne Carlisle missed two chances for the Grecians in the closing stages, but the victory was their best of the season and ends a run of four straight league defeats.
Flack said: "That is my fist hat-trick in 10 years at the club so it has been a long time coming, but I am delighted."