Newport sink Middlesbrough to earn dream reward with Manchester City

When Robbie Willmott belly-flopped on to a mudbath of a pitch, the Newport County party was only just getting started. The League Two club’s romance with the FA Cup continued as they overcame Middlesbrough at a rain-soaked Rodney Parade to tee up a dream fifth-round date with Manchester City.

But the goalkeeper, Joe Day, had other things on his mind at the final whistle. As Newport’s players basked in perhaps their finest hour, the club reaching the fifth round for the first time since 1948-49, Day sprinted down the tunnel in order to get to hospital, with his wife, Lizzie, having gone into labour with twins.

“The professional that he is, he turned his phone off [during the game],” Michael Flynn, the Newport manager, said. “As soon as the game was over he just said: ‘Gaffer, thank you so much, can I go please?’ I said: ‘Of course you can, do you need a lift?’ And that was it.”

As for Willmott, the winger has the kind of backstory that belongs to the Cup, given he was stacking shelves in Tesco two years ago, rejoining Newport to help retain their league status last year. It was the perfect Cup tie, one that had all the ingredients for an upset from the moment the rain started pouring down. Willmott’s thumping effort from 25 yards earned Newport – mid-table in the fourth tier – the lead before Padraig Amond doubled the advantage.

Flynn said he gave the prospect of entertaining the Premier League champions little thought, citing the Bullseye gameshow and how his players could have ended up with a consolation prize akin to a rubber dinghy. But instead their reward after a deserved victory in which they outclassed a Championship side chasing promotion is a date with Pep Guardiola and co.

The gulf between the teams is huge; City’s most recent starting XI cost £470m, Newport’s a mere £50,000. Still, “Manchester City, we’re coming for you” was the chorus that reverberated around a rocking sold-out stadium at the final whistle.

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Whatever the result here, there was always going to be cause for celebration given that both Flynn and Tony Pulis are sons of Pillgwenlly, a district of the city on the other side of the river Usk. It was Matt Dolan, a former Middlesbrough trainee, who forced the replay 10 days earlier, meaning Pulis – who has managed in excess of 1,000 matches – faced Newport in the city where he grew up for the first time.

Dolan again began on the bench against Boro, who made five changes from their league win at West Brom last weekend. The lashing rain made life interesting on a pitch that is also home to two rugby union sides, Newport RFC and the Gwent-Dragons, with this the 59th match to take place here this season.

Newport were unfazed by the growing pool of surface water, making a barnstorming start, and Boro were, by contrast, stuck in the mud. The referee, Stuart Attwell, should have awarded the home side an early penalty too, but he waved away appeals when Adam Clayton handballed a cross into the box by Regan Poole.

Somehow, though, Boro headed down the tunnel at the interval with the score goalless. Pulis introduced Rajiv van La Parra thereafter but before the winger even had time to get his bearings, Newport finally had the ball in the net.

Willmott charged towards the opposition box from deep with Amond for company – though the winger did not need him. Willmott dropped his shoulder to buy himself another yard of space as Boro backed off, with his swerving shot eluding the 40-year-old Dimi Konstantopoulos, who could only get a weak right hand to it. Newport were deservedly in front, Boro in trouble – and still to register a shot on target – prompting Pulis to throw on Rudy Gestede and Ashley Fletcher.

But as the rain continued to come down, things went from bad to worse for Boro when Newport doubled their lead after 67 minutes. The visitors were bamboozled by a training-ground corner routine, with Amond darting to the front post to bury Willmott’s inswinging ball. Boro’s players looked at one another for answers as Amond ran off, sparking delirium among the home fans.