All over in just a flash for Tyreeq
WHAT IF? Bakinson’s glorious early headed County chance is saved by Ederson TYREEQ BAKINSON could not help wondering what might have been if he had scored his glorious early chance.
The 20-year-old had the goal spread out in front of him just six yards out when the ball fell to him in a flash.
There he was, with just goalkeeper Ederson to beat to do the unimaginable and put League Two Newport a goal in front against Manchester City’s battalion of stars.
Bakinson could not get a powerful enough connection on his header as he desperately tried to steer it towards goal and Ederson flicked it away with a superb one-handed save.
What if? That is the FA Cup, it leaves teams who dare to dream that haunting unanswerable question.
What if Bakinson had jolted City? What if County goalkeeper Joe Day had done a bit better with City’s first two goals? What if they had not conceded just over a minute after Padraig Amond had made it 2-1? What if City just weren’t quite so good?
“I’d say it was a difficult chance really but I still think I should have scored. It was a great save,” said Bakinson.
“It might seem like it was all happening slowly but to me it was like 100mph. It’s one of those things that happen in football.
“When we scored, there was a sense of belief because we never give up.
“We have shown that with our results – especially in the last minute against Middlesbrough [in the previous round]. But City have so much quality that they quickly killed that off and that was it.”
Everything about Newport was just fantastic.
The pre-match playlist over the PA system included ‘Living on a Prayer’ and ‘I’m a Believer’.
When it was 0-0 at half-time, the DJ got a little bolder with ‘Under Pressure’ clearly aimed at City’s deadlocked stars.
The whole dynamic of the game changed in the 51st minute as Day went all Edward Scissorhands and could only help Leroy Sane’s shot into the net.
City’s starlet Phil Foden, 18, made it 2-0 in the 75th minute after a brilliant run from the halfway line.
When Amond poked the ball over Ederson, suddenly there was hope – but only for one minute, 11 seconds, to