Newport County 2-1 Leeds United

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FA Cup: Newport County 2-1 Leeds highlights

League Two Newport County dumped Championship side Leeds United out of the FA Cup thanks to Shawn McCoulsky's late header at a rocking Rodney Parade.

McCoulsky's winner in the 89th minute was deserved reward for the home side, who were superb throughout.

Conor Shaughnessy's own goal drew them level with 15 minutes remaining after Gaetano Berardi's deflected ninth-minute opener for the visitors.

Leeds' misery was completed when Samuel Saiz was sent off in time added on.

Newport's dramatic recovery caps an incredible few months for the Exiles, who only stayed in the Football League last season with a winner in the closing stages of their final match of the campaign.

Their last-gasp heroics continued against Leeds in a win that will be remembered in south Wales for years.

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Shawn McCoulsky scores late winner for Newport

The joy of 53

The omens were there for Newport before the tie.

They were separated by 53 places in the Football League, the same margin between Coventry City and Stoke City before the Sky Blues' surprise win on Saturday.

Fifty-three places also separated Cardiff City and Leeds in 2002, when the Welsh side stunned the David O'Leary team that was contending for the Premier League title.

Newport and Leeds had not met in the FA Cup since January 1949, when the Welsh side won 3-1 at Elland Road in a third-round tie, and this was again to be a famous afternoon for County.

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Gaetano Berardi puts Leeds United ahead in FA Cup third round

The two teams were however hardly strangers, having already met this season at Elland Road in the Carabao Cup, with Leeds winning 5-1.

Newport nevertheless created several chances in the first half of that game and did so again at a freezing Rodney Parade.

First, Padraig Amond spun and shot after Leeds failed to clear a corner, but Mateusz Klich blocked on the line.

Skipper Joss Labadie then saw two efforts blocked as Newport bombarded Leeds with crosses, before Amond and Robbie Willmott fired over from tight angles.

County trailed at the break, but were unfortunate to do so.

Nine changes cost Leeds

Leeds looked vulnerable and lacked fluency, which was perhaps no surprise given that only Berardi and Kalvin Phillips maintained their places from the side that started the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest in their last game.

Thomas Christiansen's side were on the back foot for much of the match yet took the lead when Berardi's 30-yard drive struck Pierre-Michel Lasogga's leg and wrong-footed Newport goalkeeper Joe Day.

The goal sparked wild celebrations and flares from the travelling fans, but Newport were unperturbed and missed a handful of good chances to level before and after the break.

Amond volleyed wide acrobatically just before the hour mark, while a wicked delivery from Scot Bennett just needed a touch as it fizzed across Andy Lonergan's goal.

Leeds, who tried to slow down the game after the break, occasionally threatened on the counter, with Lasogga forcing Day to parry a robust shot.

Newport's Padraig Amond has a shot blocked — Newport created chances throughout the game, including Padraig Amond's blocked first-half effort

Labadie volleyed over with 20 minutes remaining before the home side's magic moment arrived with Frank Nouble's cross deflecting off Amond and then Shaughnessy with Lonergan helpless in Leeds' goal.

Amond's late header from another Willmott set piece was held by the goalkeeper and substitute Paul Hayes fired over on his debut as the Exiles looked like they would just fall just short of a famous win.

However, substitute McCoulsky struck and County held on comfortably once Saiz saw red for his part in a melee, with the Football Association later charging him for spitting at Newport's Willmott.

Man of the match: Robbie Willmott

What they said:

Newport County manager Michael Flynn, speaking to BBC One Wales: "This is much better, beating Championship teams like Leeds. I don't want to be winning relegation battles, I want to be winning FA Cup ties and climbing the table.

"I thought we were the better team in the first half. The goal was unfortunate, but we had chances and kept going. I told them we don't have to win the game in the first 10 minutes of the second half and we got crosses into the box.

"It was an outstanding header. He (McCoulsky) has 11 goals for us this season and he has been superb for us. He was hungry and wanted it and I am delighted."

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Newport

1Day
2Pipe
6White
28Demetriou
3Butler
7WillmottSubstituted forO'Brienat 90+3'minutes
17Bennett
4Labadie
8DolanSubstituted forMcCoulskyat 69'minutesBooked at 90mins
10Nouble
9AmondSubstituted forHayesat 86'minutes

Substitutes

12Tozer
15McCoulsky
19Reid
25O'Brien
30Bittner
31Sheehan
39Hayes

Leeds

1Lonergan
8Anita
35Shaughnessy
28BerardiBooked at 10mins
3Borthwick-JacksonSubstituted forCooperat 60'minutes
24Sacko
23Phillips
43Klich
22Cibicki
11GrotBooked at 67minsSubstituted forSáizat 75'minutesBooked at 90mins
9Lasogga

Substitutes

6Cooper
21Sáiz
30Peacock-Farrell
46Pearce
47Clarke
48Kitching
49Rey

Referee:: Mike Dean
Attendance:: 6,887

Match Stats

Home TeamNewportAway TeamLeeds

Possession: Home50%; Away50%

Shots: Home19; Away17

Shots on Target: Home5; Away5

Corners: Home8; Away4

Fouls: Home9; Away11

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Newport County 2, Leeds United 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+6'

Second Half ends, Newport County 2, Leeds United 1.

Posted at 90'+5'

Foul by Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United).

Posted at 90'+5'

Shawn McCoulsky (Newport County) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+4'

Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Gaetano Berardi.

Substitution

Posted at 90'+3'

Substitution, Newport County. Mark O'Brien replaces Robbie Willmott.

Booking

Posted at 90'+2'

Shawn McCoulsky (Newport County) is shown the yellow card.

Dismissal

Posted at 90'+1'

Samuel Sáiz (Leeds United) is shown the red card.

Goal!

Posted at 89'

Goal! Newport County 2, Leeds United 1. Shawn McCoulsky (Newport County) header from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Robbie Willmott with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 89'

Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Kalvin Phillips.

Posted at 89'

Attempt blocked. Scot Bennett (Newport County) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Posted at 88'

Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Pawel Cibicki.

Posted at 87'

Attempt missed. Paul Hayes (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Frank Nouble with a headed pass.

Substitution

Posted at 86'

Substitution, Newport County. Paul Hayes replaces Padraig Amond.

Posted at 86'

Attempt missed. Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Leeds United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mateusz Klich.

Posted at 84'

Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 84'

Foul by Joss Labadie (Newport County).

Posted at 84'

Attempt saved. Padraig Amond (Newport County) header from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mickey Demetriou.

Posted at 83'

Attempt saved. Padraig Amond (Newport County) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Scot Bennett with a headed pass.

Posted at 83'

Foul by Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United).

Posted at 83'

Frank Nouble (Newport County) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 82'

Offside, Leeds United. Liam Cooper tries a through ball, but Pierre-Michel Lasogga is caught offside.

Posted at 81'

Attempt missed. Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Hadi Sacko with a cross.

Posted at 80'

Attempt missed. Scot Bennett (Newport County) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

Posted at 80'

Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Liam Cooper.

Posted at 78'

Attempt missed. Frank Nouble (Newport County) header from very close range is too high.

Goal!

Posted at 76'

Own Goal by Conor Shaughnessy, Leeds United. Newport County 1, Leeds United 1.

Posted at 76'

Attempt blocked. Frank Nouble (Newport County) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Shawn McCoulsky.

Substitution

Posted at 75'

Substitution, Leeds United. Samuel Sáiz replaces Jay-Roy Grot.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Shawn McCoulsky (Newport County) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Joss Labadie.

Posted at 73'

Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Vurnon Anita.

Posted at 71'

Attempt missed. Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.

Posted at 70'

Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by Dan Butler.

Posted at 70'

Attempt blocked. Hadi Sacko (Leeds United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kalvin Phillips.

Substitution

Posted at 69'

Substitution, Newport County. Shawn McCoulsky replaces Matthew Dolan.

Posted at 69'

Attempt missed. Joss Labadie (Newport County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right.

Booking

Posted at 67'

Jay-Roy Grot (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Jay-Roy Grot (Leeds United).

Posted at 67'

Robbie Willmott (Newport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 65'

Attempt saved. Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mateusz Klich.