One year ago, Newcastle beat Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 here in the Champions League. This was a victory all the same, but champagne football it was not. A lack of energy in the energy-drink cup, more like.
Incredibly, an attendance of 51,739 was just 270 short of the number of lucky souls who saw their team dismantle the French champions. That was a night for the ages. This was a night to age you.
It needed a home penalty in first-half stoppage-time to break the tedium, and without it maybe the tie would have drifted to penalties.
Newcastle had been slow and sideways to that point, and Wimbledon were happily watching them dally.
But after a clumsy short corner, a challenge just as clumsy by Joe Piggot on Miguel Almiron gave skipper Fabian Schar the chance to score from 12 yards.
Eddie Howe ‘s men were gifted an opener after Miguel Almiron went down in the box before centre-back Fabian Schar (left) dispatched the penalty
The Swiss star performed a quick hop as he took the spot kick to give the Magpies the lead
He scored from double that distance against PSG and Newcastle’s captain cool was never going to miss here. He duly rolled home much like he had done for Switzerland in their shootout defeat by England at this summer’s Euros.
Eddie Howe sought to improve matters by bringing on Bruno Guimarães at half-time and Anthony Gordon on the hour, and their arrival did quicken the step.
But while the slender lead remained, there were black-and-white nerves on the rare occasions their League Two visitors did venture forward.
Still, Newcastle shuffle into the fourth round where a home tie against Chelsea awaits.
That will feel like a bigger occasion and, with it, a bigger performance will no doubt be found. It needs to be, given the Carabao Cup represents Newcastle’s best chance of ending a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.
But 12 months on from PSG, this all felt light years away from the heady nights of the Champions League.
