Eddie Howe said:

"The performance wasn't where we wanted it to be. This was always potentially a difficult game. Credit to Wimbledon, who defended as we thought they would - very deep, low and narrow. On the ball, we were a bit slow and lethargic.

"I'm just disappointed we couldn't put on more of a show, an attacking show. Certainly that was our intention - to attack and create chances and entertain. It didn't turn out to be that kind of game and I apologise for that.

"I’d probably agree with you, it is instantly forgettable from our perspective, I don’t think that will live long in the memory, but I remember the season when we got to the final, the game against Tranmere, the first game, 1-0 down, that looked a really difficult game. 

"We managed to scrape a victory that day, and it’s those wins that can sometimes create a cup run. You have to battle your way through. It’s not always going to be the game that you want it to be. It’s an opportunity for us. We want to stay in the competition as long as we can.

"The first one on Fabian (Schar) was a clear no-penalty for me but Miggy (Almiron) looked like a foul in the box. It’s job done, we’re through to the next round, that’s the most important thing always in these competitions. 

"It was a very difficult game and I was frustrated with our attacking play, especially in the first half we didn’t move the ball quickly enough and weren’t dynamic enough but the positive was that we defended really well."

On William Osula:

"A really good opportunity for him tonight. I thought he did OK. There was some really bright flashes from him, but like any young player, he knows he has areas of his game to work on. 

"Like I said before the game, we're working on those with him. It was a performance of promise. He probably could have scored a couple of goals. He did better in the second half when we were able to give him more of the ball in dangerous areas. 

The first half was frustrating for him and for us that he didn't get the ball more around their box. In the attacking areas, you saw his qualities - his pace and power - but he still has a lot of work to do."

On Odysseas Vlachodimos

"I thought he did very well. There was a set play threat - he came for one really good long throw and claimed it. I don't think he had any shots of note to save, but he distributed the ball well and showed his experience."

On injuries:

"I think we're OK. Martin Dubravka's taken a nasty bang to the knee. I don't know if it's a serious injury or not but it was enough for him to come off. We hope he's alright but we'll see how he settles down tomorrow.

"Hopefully no major injuries from the game. Fabian (Schar) had a couple of issues, his ankle and other things but hopefully he'll be alright and it's not serious."

The Dons used the away dressing room

Manager Johnnie Jackson - who was on the winning side at SJP as a Spurs player, coming off the bench for the final seconds of a 1-0 PL away success in 2004:

"I’m fuming to be honest - The first one (Fabian Schar) is a dive so it should be a free-kick and yellow card. Then there’s a break in play and another coming together and about three or four passes after that, he hasn’t given it, he’s in a good position, then the linesman decides to get involved.

"Like we’re not up against it enough coming here as the underdog, we don’t need a linesman getting involved, the referee is there to referee the game.

"I’m angry about that one. I don’t see that happening at the other end. For that to be the difference in the game tells you a lot about my team. The way we went about our game plan and task, Newcastle know they’ve been in a real game. 

Credit to my boys. The gulf in divisions and quality is obvious but I think we closed that gap as a team tonight and frustrated them. It says a lot about my team that I’m disappointed we haven’t got something from it or forced it to penalties because the effort deserved that."

"I think it was a very good display from the team. It showed how far we’ve come that we could compete with a top Premier League team with the quality they’ve got. To be as defensively solid as we were on the night is testament to the players.

"The fact we were all disappointed not to get anything out of it shows the progress we’ve made in recent times. The lads were disappointed with the manner of the goal we conceded as they felt the penalty shouldn’t have been given. For the difference to only be a dodgy penalty against a Premier League club shows how far we’ve come.

"We went into the game with a lot of confidence because of our results this season. We had earned the right to play at Newcastle by beating a Premier League team in the last round. 

"Defensively we have looked solid so far this season, so we knew that we could go there and play in a certain way and be comfortable without having the ball. If we can do that against Newcastle, we can do it against anyone.

"In the league games we want to have more possession and control, so we’ll certainly work on that, but we had to play a certain way, and we showed we could do that too. We are mixing it up very well and the boys should take a lot of heart from doing a lot of things very well defensively.

"It was unbelievable to have 1,500 of our fans travel up to Newcastle at short notice for a Tuesday night match. To have that level of support was incredible: I think it’s a testament to this club and everything we’ve been through that everyone rallied around at a difficult time to support the team. 

"I’m incredibly proud of everyone who made the trip to Newcastle and I really hope that the performance on the pitch was worthy of their efforts.

MD James Woodroof:

"It's been a mad week. Thankfully, Newcastle were outstanding when we broke the news to them on Monday morning and quickly offered to reverse the fixture which was a fantastic gesture and offer.

"They've been first class ever since, making a significant donation to the club and hundreds of Newcastle supporters have thrown their arm around us. Newcastle to a person have been outstanding with us and I can't thank them enough. 

"We have 1,500 fans here and I think there's now a special bond between the clubs. I’m really hopeful that bond can continue for years to come.

"It was an extraordinary set of circumstances that led to the images that you've seen. Essentially, we had record levels of rain water, the River Wandle reached its highest level for 60-odd years and multiple things happened.

"Our stadium's drainage system couldn't cope with that amount of water and there was nowhere for the water to escape. Ultimately, that led to an eruption on our pitch because our water tank is beneath the pitch, which is slightly unusual.

"If we’d had to forfeit the game, it would have had a significant impact on us. Because we're fan owned, our ultimate ambition is to break even, there isn't someone writing a cheque that can sustain losses of millions of pounds, which is what's happening in League Two.

"This would have had a monumental impact on us. We're very hopeful we can repair the pitch and get football back, but the really sad thing is we were looking forward to hosting Newcastle and had sold every seat and after knocking Ipswich out, we were really looking forward to that. 

"Unfortunately, that was taken away from us but one good thing that has come out of it is this (visit to SJP), but it’s a bittersweet moment really.

"It's an open invitation to Newcastle to have a pre-season friendly with us. We'd love to continue this relationship. We would love to host Newcastle in years to come.”

Newcastle made it into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, after a low-key victory over the League Two Wombles in a rearranged Third Round tie that at times had all of the intensity and spectacle of a friendly match.

Water damage to the pitch at Plough Lane led to the postponement of the original game, followed by the decision to stage it on Tyneside before a crowd five times larger than the Dons' stadium holds.

There wasn't much to inspire home fans, as the visitors set a much-changed United side the task of unpicking an 11 man defence - and despite enjoying an unprecedented amount of possession, they seldom looked like doing so. 

In the absence of Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, Fabian Schar was captain and his penalty in first half time added on broke the deadlock, after Miggy Almiron was upended in the box by Joe Pigott.

The decision came from the linesman in front of the East Stand, after referee Darren Bond failed to blow when Schar and Almiron went over in quick succession under challenge from the Dons forward.

Chances came and went to increase that lead, with Bruno Guimaraes introduced at half time, followed by Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall just after the hour. A tactical reshuffle meanwhile saw Lloyd Kelly relocated from his unproductive stint left back to partner Schar in the middle.

The forward momentum of the black and whites did increase from the walking pace of the opening 45, but did little to improve the end product; visiting goalkeeper Owen Goodman barely troubled for the most part.

An additional five minutes at the end saw the Dons belatedly push upfield in search of the goal that would have taken the tie to penalties - but like their occasional long throws into the United box, they fell short and the visitors ended the tie without registering a shot on target.  

Had the tie gone ahead as originally planned, a romanticised view is that a more partisan and excited crowd in a stadium holding under 10,000 would have inspired the Dons to a famous giant-killing. 

It's equally feasible though that the League Two side could have been the victims of their own enthusiasm, picked off as they attempted to play a more expansive brand of football than they showed on Tyneside.

The weather - and Thames Water (possibly) - means that we'll never know the answer to that, but the fact that the game was played and not forfeited hopefully gives the Dons a better chance of living to fight another day.

As Eddie Howe later admitted, this was a tie that won't live long in the memory of home fans and a stronger line-up than he would have probably liked were needed to see the game out. For the 1,500 travelling fans though, this was a far more significant occasion that prompted mixed emotions.

The oft-repeated line that Newcastle fans have "got their club back" post-Ashley is a rather more accurate description of what Wombles followers have experienced than their Magpies brethren. 

Rather than withering through neglect as was the case in NE1, Dons supporters endured successive administrations mismanage their club out of SW19 into Bedfordshire and apparent extinction, thanks in no small part to the complicity of the football authorities.  

From village pitches in the Combined Counties League to Level Seven of St.James' Park is some journey - and testament to their collective spirit, tenacity and a refusal to conform. Wimbledon may not have made it to the last 16 at our expense, but the real story of tonight wasn't on the field.

Biffa