Newcastle United's UEFA Cup dreams were torn to shreds in Holland when Scott Parker saw a late 'winner' disallowed, as the Magpies lost 2-0 on the night for a 4-4 aggregate draw which saw them go out on away goals.
The Magpies skipper thought he had put the visitors 5-4 ahead on aggregate with three minutes remaining, only for French referee Bertrand Layec to blow for a foul in the build-up.
Trailing 4-2 from the first leg, the Dutchmen reduced the deficit within 14 minutes when Shota Arveladze fired home from close range, and they were ahead on away goals when Danny Kovermans headed home a second 11 minutes after the restart.
In truth, Louis van Gaal's men might have won more comfortably had it not been for the excellence of Shay Given and goal-line clearances from Steven Taylor and 19-year-old left-back Paul Huntington, who was tormented throughout by winger Julian Jenner.
However, both Kieron Dyer and Obafemi Martins passed up glorious opportunities to pile the pressure on the home side, who found themselves 3-0 and 4-1 down in a disastrous visit to St James' Park before launching an astonishing recovery as memories of Newcastle's capitulation in Lisbon two seasons ago came flooding back.
The Magpies arrived at the DSB Stadium knowing a clean sheet would see them through, but that scenario went out of the window within 14 minutes.
AZ, who defended like schoolboys on Tyneside, took the game by the scruff of the neck from the off with wide men Jenner and Maarten Martens, supported by full-backs Gretar Steinsson and Tim de Cler, pinning the visitors back inside their own half for long periods.
But if it was they who provided the ammunition, it was the movement of front two Arveladze and Koevermans which had United chasing shadows.
The former Rangers hitman was handed the simplest of tasks to open the scoring on the night when his strike-partner drilled in a cross from the right.
With Roeder once again fielding a makeshift defence - teenager Huntington came in at left-back for the injured Stephen Carr, while midfielder Nolberto Solano once again lined up on the right - the pressure was firmly on.
Taylor, who had passed a late fitness test on a calf injury, looked uncomfortable at times and Titus Bramble was left walking a tightrope by a 33rd-minute booking for a heavy challenge on Jenner.
The midfield quartet of Dyer, Parker, Nicky Butt and Damien Duff worked tirelessly in an effort to close down space, but it was too often in vain as AZ passed the ball freely.
That left Martins and Antoine Sibierski largely feeding off scraps with Alkmaar keeper Boy Waterman a spectator for much of the first half.
He had only one real scare when Parker whipped a right-foot shot inches over his bar on 15 minutes, but Sibierski's looping 41st-minute header was his side's first effort on target.
Things could have been worse for Newcastle within two minutes of the restart when the inexperienced Huntington was caught in no man's land by Demy de Zeeuw's intelligent pass inside him.
Jenner raced away to cut the ball back into the middle and although Solano got in a desperate block, Moussa Dembele latched on to the rebound only to fire high over.
The Magpies dropped ever deeper as they tried to protect Given's goal, but that simply invited pressure with Martins and Sibierski once again marooned.
However, they might have taken back the advantage on 54 minutes when Dyer beat the offside trap to collect Solano's free kick and round Waterman, only to see his shot from a tight angle slide agonisingly wide.
Dyer was made to pay within two minutes when Jenner forced Huntington to concede a corner and Koevermans rose at the near post to head Martens' cross home.
It might have been even worse seconds later when Koevermans just missed the target with an acrobatic overhead effort.
Roeder replaced the labouring Duff with Emre on 59 minutes and his side might have regained their advantage within two minutes when Parker latched on to Solano's pass, but fired straight at Waterman.
But with men committed to the search for a precious goal, the Magpies were looking increasingly vulnerable at the back and Given had to save from Jenner with 18 minutes remaining.
Taylor hacked a Koevermans shot off the line after the striker had rounded the keeper seconds later, and Huntington headed away Dembele's 77th-minute shot with Given beaten.
Martins could have snatched back the tie with seven minutes remaining after being played in by Dyer, but he shot straight at the advancing Waterman.
Parker briefly thought he had won it, but Given turned an Arveladze shot on to the bar as AZ survived a late flurry with few genuine scares.
