Newport County players celebrate a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough to set up a fifth round meeting with Mancheaster City. -- AFP Photo |
LONDON - Fourth-tier Newport County will take on Premier League champions Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup after shocking Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough 2-0 on Tuesday.
Robbie Willmott and Padraig Amond scored brilliant second-half goals for the Welsh side to secure a plum tie at home to Pep Guardiola’s side on February 16.
Newport were more than worthy of their win as they dominated from start to finish under torrential rain at Rodney Parade and on a mudbath of a pitch that City will not relish.
"It’s nothing more than we deserved tonight, we were absolutely outstanding," said Newport boss Mike Flynn.
"They can match Championship players. I don’t know what it is with them. We can play like that but not every week in League Two."
A penalty appeal for handball by Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Clayton was waved away and 40-year-old Greek goalkeeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos made a string of saves to keep Tony Pulis’s side level at the break.
However, Konstantopoulos could not keep out Willmott’s strike from outside the box two minutes into the second period and Amond fired a well-worked corner into the top corner 23 minutes from time to send Newport into the last 16 for the first time in 70 years.
"They were the better team, they ran all over us. It was men against boys.
Forget the conditions, you have to match people and that’s the real disappointment," said Pulis.
"Give them credit, they were fantastic tonight and they deserve their win."
Wolves survived another scare from League One Shrewsbury to set up a fifth round visit to Bristol City with a 3-2 win at Molineux.
But for Matt Doherty’s stoppage-time equaliser, Shrewsbury would have knocked out the side that sit seventh in the Premier League when they first met in a 2-2 draw 10 days ago.
The Irish wing-back opened the scoring for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men and then levelled just before half-time after goals from James Bolton and Josh Laurent had put the Shrews 2-1 in front.
Ivan Cavaleiro then completed the Wolves comeback in the second half.
Brentford will travel to Swansea for an all-Championship tie after seeing off non-league outfit Barnet 3-1.
And Steve McClaren’s Queen’s Park Rangers will host Watford next after goals from Nahki Wells and Matt Smith beat Portsmouth 2-0. - AFP