Newcastle Advances in Carabao Cup with Win Over Wimbledon

Newcastle secured their place in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup with a straightforward victory over AFC Wimbledon, thanks to Fabian Schar’s penalty. The match held at St James’ Park featured a pivotal moment just before half-time when referee Darren Bond awarded a penalty after Miguel Almiron drew a foul from Joe Pigott. After a lengthy discussion with his assistant, Bond confirmed the spot-kick.

Schar calmly converted it, sending the ball past Wimbledon’s goalkeeper Owen Goodman. Despite the narrow scoreline, Newcastle dominated possession and created numerous chances throughout the match. Almiron, Harvey Barnes and Sean Longstaff all threatened the Wimbledon goal while the visitors recorded no shots on target. Newcastle will next face Chelsea at St James’ Park in the fourth round on October 30.

The match had originally scheduled to take place at Wimbledon’s Plough Lane home the previous week but flooding damaged the pitch, prompting a rescheduling at Newcastle’s ground. In a display of sportsmanship, Newcastle donated £15,000 to aid Wimbledon in their repair efforts, prompting gratitude from the away fans, who held up a banner reading, “Thank you NUFC and the wider football family.”

On the pitch, Newcastle’s charity did not extend to the game itself, as they clinically controlled the match against a team 60 places lower in the football pyramid. Manager Eddie Howe made eight changes from the squad that drew 1-1 with Manchester City over the weekend, yet Newcastle’s depth proved too much for a disciplined but limited Wimbledon side.

Once Newcastle took the lead, it became evident that Johnnie Jackson’s team could not find a way back into the contest.