NEWPORT COUNTY MANCHESTER CITY FOD’S LAW
Heroes Newport rattle Pep and Cup dream’s ON... then GONE in 60secs!
JUST for a moment it seemed like Padraig Amond had put Newport County’s Cup miracle back on.
But a moment was all it lasted. Pep Guardiola needed a secondhalf blitz to shatter County’s heroic FA Cup run.
The Welsh minnows bravely went toe- to- toe with Premier League champions Manchester City – and went down fighting.
Leroy Sane finally got the breakthrough just before the hour mark, then Phil Foden showed his class to score a stunning solo goal.
Newport striker Amond kept up his habit of scoring in every round to give Michael Flynn’s men a glimpse of new hope.
But within seconds Foden completed his brace, before Riyad Mahrez finished them off late on to advance City to the quarter-finals.
City keeper Ederson had looked on in disbelief as rap crew Goldie Looking Chain jumped about performing their Newport County rhymes during his warm-up.
The Amber Army were doing everything in their power to unsettle Guardiola’s Premier League aristocrats, but briefly went silent as the names on the City team-sheet filtered through.
In came the likes of David Silva, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus and Foden. Sane was retained from the 6-0 hammering of Chelsea.
Keeper Joe Day, who hit the headlines for missing the birth of his twin girls during County’s heroic fourth-round win, paraded Emelia Lillie and Sophie Grace to the adoring crowd.
City victims Chelsea could have taken lessons from Newport’s combative start, as they refused to be overawed by Pep’s stars.
And if the visitors needed any reminder of Newport’s giant-killing expertise, they got it after quarter of an hour.
Mickey Demetriou launched a long throw into the box and watched Jamille Matt flick it towards the far post for the unmarked Tyreeq Bakinson to nod towards the bottom corner.
The Bristol City loanee steered it on target from five yards out but Ederson produced a stunning reflex save down to his right to keep the scores level.
City came close to breaking the Exiles down when Sane played a one-two with Foden and let fly with a shot that clipped the crossbar.
Newport had to cling on for dear life at the end of the first half, and City could have had a penalty when Mark O’brien looked to have blocked a cross with his hand.
Sane also went close, but Newport achieved what only Chelsea, Liverpool, Lyon and Wolves had done all season – keep Guardiola’s side at bay for the first 45 minutes.
Newport started the second-half brightly, but finally crumbled when Sane sprinted down the left wing and linked with Jesus, who lifted the ball over the defence and back into his path.
The German winger unleashed a powerful shot straight at Day, but it caught the County keeper by surprise, hit him in the face and bounced over the line.
Day shook off the blow and sprang into action moments later to stop Danilo’s long-range shot from beating him to the bottom corner.
The Brazilian caused Day more problems when he got in behind and smacked the post as City finally got a stranglehold on the game.
And some FA Cup magic from Foden ensured County would not be staging another upset. The England Under-21 starlet broke on the halfway line before bamboozling Dan Butler with a pair of step-overs and found the bottom corner with a driven shot.
City looked in command, but Amond tore up the script to grab his obligatory Cup goal, as he latched on to Josh Sheehan’s long ball and lifted it over the onrushing Ederson.
But hopes of a famous comeback were extinguished by Foden, who brought the ball down in the box and sent a left-footed strike past Day into the top corner.
Mahrez then took advantage of Newport’s tiring legs when he snuck in behind and hit the back of the net from close range.
Newport’s magical FA Cup run may be over, but their financial future is secured – and their stock is higher than ever. ■ Man City have reached the quarter-finals for the 25th occasion.
■ Newport have lost just two of their last 12 FA Cup matches (W7 D3), with each