This is the sort of match that turned Bobby Robson's hair grey. His team missed four great chances before a rare error from his goalkeeper gifted the opposition a goal, the momentum and three points.
The fact that results elsewhere pulled Newcastle back into relegation's icy grip can only increase the speed with which the United manager's head turns snowy white.
Robson, without the money to sign players of his own, has taken Ruud Gullit's squad and realised the potential the Dutchman saw but could not extract.
On Saturday though Newcastle fell to "another smash and grab job by Wimbledon," reckoned Robson. "We've made more entries into their box but failed to take our chances." Robson blamed his team's defeat on poor defending, indirectly at least.
Newcastle's centre-backs Nikos Dabizas and Marcelino were all over the place; the left-back Alessandro Pistone looked frightened to tackle and, after a bright start, the right-back Warren Barton caught the bug and majored in unforced errors.
It was probably uncertainty about how those in front of him were going to react that prompted the goalkeeper Steve Harper to come out for Alan Kimble's free-kick just after the break.
It was a bad call. He was always stretching to reach the ball and only managed to push it on to Robbie Earle's knee from where it rebounded in a trickle over the line.
Wimbledon increased their lead on 68 minutes when Kenny Cunningham crossed from the right, Newcastle's central defenders went awol, Barton was left to jump with Marcus Gayle, for some reason did not take off and the big striker thumped a free header past Harper.
"One day you take your chances, the next day you don't," said Robson philosophically. "I don't blame players for missed chances. I only criticise players for not creating them."
WIMBLEDON: Sullivan, Cunningham, Andersen, Hreidarsson, Kimble, Earle, Euell, Badir, Cort, Leaburn (Ardley 61), Gayle. Subs Not Used: Heald, Andresen, Willmott, Francis. Goals: Earle 48, Gayle 69.
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Barton, Marcelino, Dabizas, Pistone, Solano, Speed, Gallacher (Domi 75), Dyer, Ferguson, Shearer. Subs Not Used: Given, Ketsbaia, Hughes, Helder.
Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).
