League Two side Newport County produced a huge FA Cup upset as they beat Leicester City 2-1 at Rodney Parade to dump out the former Premier League champions.
The magic of the FA Cup was alive and well in south Wales as Newport performed a classic upset by dumping out former Premier League champions Leicester City.
Jamille Matt's excellent early header after just 10 minutes gave the raucous home crowd a huge boost and what followed was a classic tale of missed chances by the Premier League big boys coupled with some heroic defending from the League Two side.
They were not without their own attacking quality but the second half was backs-to-the-wall stuff for the hosts until Rachid Ghezzal thundered in an equaliser for the Foxes eight minutes from the end.
The upset looked to have been averted but for Marc Albrighton to raise an arm to block a cross to give away a penalty that Padraig Amond slotted away superbly with five minutes left to hang on for a famous win.
Chances still came for Leicester but they could not earn a replay as Newport saw it out to claim their first FA Cup win against a top flight since since beating Sheffield Wednesday in 1964.
Newport 2-1 Leicester highlights
Home side go ahead
Ghezzal rocket to level
Late penalty winner
Newport 2-1 Leicester Opta stats
- Newport’s 2-1 victory against Leicester was their first FA Cup win against a side from the top tier of English Football since beating Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the 1963/64 edition, ending a run of seven matches against such opponents without a win (D3 L4).
- Leicester have been eliminated from the FA Cup by a side in the fourth tier of English Football or lower for the first time since non-league Harlow Town knocked out the Foxes in a third-round replay during the 1979/80 season.
- Leicester have lost back to back games in all competitions against fourth tier opposition (vs Shrewsbury Town and Newport County) – as many defeats as in their previous 34 matches against such opponents (W31 D1 L2).
- This is the first time two top-flight sides have been knocked out of the FA Cup by teams from the fourth tier or below on the same day since January 7th 1989, when Middlesbrough were beaten by Grimsby (4th tier) and Coventry by Sutton United (non-league).
- Newport have scored 16 headed goals in all competitions so far this season - of sides currently in the top four tiers of English Football, only Aston Villa have scored more headed goals in all comps in 2018-19 (19)
- Jamille Matt has scored in five of his six starts in the FA Cup since his first in November 2016 (five goals).