Hornets stung by Flynn’s cup giant-killers
3 NEWPORT COUNTY Abrahams (18 pen), Labadie (28), Amond (65) 1 WATFORD Peñaranda (54 pen)
WATFORD followed in the footsteps of Swansea City, Leicester City, Middlesbrough and Leeds United in becoming high-profile cup victims of Michael Flynn’s Newport County side.
Last season’s Premier League side were given the run-around by their League 2 hosts, who will now meet either Morecambe or Newcastle United next week in the Welsh club’s first venture into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Hornets arrived at Rodney Parade unbeaten in their three outings this season, but conceded twice in the opening half-an-hour. They grabbed one back early in the second half from the penalty spot, but then saw the predatory Padraig Amond make the game safe with his first goal of the season.
Watford’s new Serbian boss Vladimir Ivic sent out a team showing 10 changes to the one that drew 0-0 with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship last weekend. The veteran striker Glenn Murray, on loan from Brighton, was the only survivor.
The visitors’ won the first corner of the game in the 10th minute, but the first chance of the night fell to Amond. The Irishman’s header went over the bar, but a minute later County won their first corner.
A great delivery from Matt Dolan just needed an end product to open the scoring, but nobody could reach it. Moments later, though, Dolan had another chance to deliver a deadball into the Watford box from a freekick on the other side of the field.
Referee Charles Breakspear spotted some pushing and shoving in the penalty area as the ball was delivered and as well as awarding the home side a penalty, he showed Toby Stevenson a yellow card. Up stepped Tristan Abrahams and he sent Dan Bachmann the wrong way to add to his two goals in the first-round win over Swansea.
Newport maintained the pressure and skipper Joss Labadie needed no second invitation to hammer home a left-footed volley from the edge of the area to double the home lead in the 28th minute after a defensive mix-up.
The Exiles stayed on the offensive and Amond should have made it three after Derek Agyakwa backed off him in a 30-yard chase. The Irishman hooked his left-footed shot just past the right post.
Watford made two changes at halftime and one of the newcomers, the Venezuelan international Adalberto Penaranda, halved the home advantage when he converted a penalty conceded by Liam Shephard.
The visitors were far more fluent after the break and pressed forward far more, but they conceded again in the 64th minute when a wayward pass from Dan Phillips across his box merely found Amond in acres of space.
As he moved into the penalty area he teed up his right foot to hammer the ball into the left corner of Bachmann’s net. That was game, set and match and Watford’s night went from bad to worse in the 88th minute when Stipe Perica was sent off for striking Brandon Cooper with an elbow to the throat.
Now Flynn will be hoping Steve Bruce’s Newcastle side win at Morecambe tonight to give his side the chance of tackling another Premier League team and perhaps get a TV slot in round four to boost their coffers.