Newcastle limp past AFC Wimbledon to reach Carabao Cup last 16

A year ago this week Newcastle were blowing away Paris St Germain 4-1 in the Champions League with their best performance under Eddie Howe.

No such glamour and fizz here. Instead, 363 days after that memorable night, it was a grinding, functional win against League Two Wimbledon, thanks to a Fabian Schar penalty.

Chelsea are up next in the Carabao Cup for Newcastle when the competition hots up, and they’ll have to be better than this to go further. Wimbledon, 11th in League Two, were excellent.

Organised and resilient, with a game plan that contained Newcastle with men behind the ball and space being squeezed. Eddie Howe’s men struggled to cut loose and create.

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Even the Toon cavalry of second half substituted including Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes couldn’t turn possession into a more convincing win. Dons boss Johnnie Jackson got his tactics spot on but could not plan for the rash challenge that saw Joe Piggott catch Miggy Almiron in the box causing ref Darren Bond to award a penalty.

Swiss international Schar was skipper for the night and took charge of the kick, with his now trademark gentle roll into the net past Owen Goodman. Schar’s long balls over the top to the recalled Almiron were the highlight of the first half and United’s chief threat, as the visitors sat deep and stayed in the game well.

League Two Wimbledon also got their chance to play at St James’ Park after the game was postponed and moved after a flood ruined their pitch last week. Newcastle donated £15,000 to a fundraising appeal to help the repairs and the South Londoners got 45pc of the gate receipts of a packed home crowd.

But there was no generosity in return, as they produced a feisty performance that forced Howe to bring on Bruno Guimaraes at half time to add some control and guile. There was precious little in the way of clear chances after Howe made eight changes from the Manchester City draw, and handed summer signing Will Osula his first start.

Osula brought in for £10m from Sheffield United is effectively the fourth choice front man and looked it, given little service or space to run in behind. He got a decent shot off in the 68th minute.

Greek No.1 keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, who cost £20m in a PSR accounting transfer with Nottingham Forest in the summer, had to come on at the break when Martin Dubravka was injured. There were a few nervous minutes as the Dons threw men forward for an equaliser, but United held out.

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