Pitch could help County against giants

Newport County’s battered Rodney Parade pitch could unsettle Manchester City and give the League Two club a small advantage when they go for another FA Cup giant-killing next weekend, according to striker Padraig Amond.

The fourth-tier Welsh club set up a dream fifth-round meeting with Premier League champions and five-time FA Cup winners City when they stunned Championship side Middlesbrough 2-0 in a fourth-round replay on Tuesday.

Amond said their uneven pitch, which the club shares with a rugby club, could come to their aid when they take on Pep Guardiola’s team on February 16.