Party time as Newport line up Fox hunt
PADRAIG AMOND helped Newport set up a lucrative FA Cup third-round tie with Leicester after a 4-0 victory over 10-man Wrexham.
Both teams had cancelled their Christmas parties in Dublin for this replay but there was only ever likely to be one winner after Wrexham’s Luke Young was sent off in the 13th minute.
Amond, who scored a goal against Tottenham in the same competition last season, produced one strike and made two more to leave County looking ahead to a home game with the Foxes next month.
The first half started in horror fashion as Young lunged at Newport captain Mickey Demetriou and saw red.
It sparked a mass brawl with County’s Dan Butler and Wrexham pair Shaun Pearson and Rob Lainton all booked.
Newport made their advantage pay at the start of the second half when Fraser Franks headed Butler’s corner across goal and Amond could not miss.
The Irish striker then saw his pull-back converted by Jamille Matt, and in the 65th minute Amond’s cross was bundled home by Mark Carrington for an own goal.
Butler rounded off the scoring with a stunning 35-yarder. Walsall defeated Sunderland 1-0 thanks to Liam Kinsella’s 30-yard special as his side clinched a third-round trip to Bolton.
Midfielder Kinsella had only once previously found the net.
Kieron Morris almost scored for Walsall with a shot from the edge of the box after a quarter of an hour, while Josh Ginnelly was also denied by the legs of Sunderland goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.
McLaughlin did even better by throwing himself at the feet of Josh Gordon to smother the ball after Morgan Ferrier had set him up.