With success comes expectation and an incredible club record League Cup crowd turned out at St James’ anticipating Newcastle United progress. They got what they came for but only after enduring the agony of a penalty shoot-out.

At least those in attendance will feel prepared for the upcoming World Cup! And Nick Pope will head for Qatar a penalty hero, saving three Crystal Palace spot-kicks to send the Magpies into the next round.

After a 90 minute slog, Newcastle United held their nerve from the spot to book their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier and Joelinton converting to win the shoot-out 3-2, Crystal Palace substitute Malcolm Ebiowei missing the deciding spot-kick after Bruno had spurned the chance to win it.

A fantastic crowd of 51,660, beating a League Cup record previously set in 1976, weren’t treated to a fantastic game but still headed for home happy. If, as Eddie Howe hopes, Newcastle United go deep into this competition, then the manner of this victory will soon be forgotten. A safe passage is all that matters.

For so long on Tyneside, domestic cup competitions were seen as unnecessary distractions. But when Howe was quizzed on Newcastle’s hopes in both this competition and the FA Cup this week, he talked of dreams not distractions.

“I said very early on here that my dream is to try and win something for Newcastle and that hasn’t changed,” he said on the eve of this game, in the week the head coach celebrated a year in charge.

The dream is still alive. Newcastle are guaranteed to go into the World Cup break secure of a top four spot and now can relish a fourth round tie after the winter break. The draw takes place on Thursday night.

This intriguing third round clash was a meeting between two teams currently residing in the top four of the Premier League form table. That the game turned into something of a grind might well have been down to the fact both bosses had made wholesale changes, Howe eight and Patrick Vieira six. Pope, Dan Burn and Sean Longstaff were the only survivors in the Newcastle XI from the win at Southampton at the weekend.

Chances were hard to come by, never mind goals. Both teams only managed a single shot on target each in the first half and it wasn’t much better after the break.

It was the visitors who looked the more comfortable early on. Newcastle were sluggish and sloppy in possession, struggling to get their attacking players into the game and at the other end struggling with the movement of the visiting front three.

The hosts would have fallen behind at the halfway stage of the opening period had it not been for the brilliance of Pope in goal, brilliantly denying Jean-Philippe Mateta.

It was half an hour before Newcastle managed their first shot on goal, Elliot Anderson attempting to spark the hosts into life as he cut in from the right, his scuffed shot easily gathered by Johnstone. Shelvey then tried the most audacious of efforts, his free-kick from just inside the Palace half almost catching the Palace keeper unaware.

The start of the second half wasn’t much better than the first but Newcastle did manage to create a clear-cut opening, Dan Burn heading straight at Johnstone when he was afforded the time and space to pick his spot with a header.

Then came the changes, Howe introducing Trippier, Botman and Bruno. The substitutions gave the crowd a lift, the hope was that it would do the same for the team. Next it was Almiron, introduced for the final 12 minutes. Newcastle came on strong.

Almiron had a glorious chance to make an immediate impact when he was played in down the right but Johnstone was equal to his low effort. Then Joelinton’s effort from distance whistled just wide.

It went to penalties. Wood, Trippier and Joelinton scored Newcastle first three, Luka Milivojevic missing for the visitors but Hughes and Ward stroking home. Botman’s effort was easily saved but so too was Mateta’s. Bruno had the chance to win it but skied his effort but he was let off the hook as Pope came to the rescue and saved from Ebiowei.