IT WAS A another insane night for FA Cup giantkillers Newport County at Rodney Parade.
With two Irishmen involved, Carlow native Pádraig Amond scored another sublime goal while Dublin-born defender Mark O’Brien also featured as the League Two outfit stunned Middlesbrough, who ply their trade in the Championship, on a 2-0 scoreline.
In doing so, they booked a fifth-round date with Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions Manchester City.
“I thought the feeling after Leicester was good but this tops the lot,” 30-year-old Amond wrote on Twitter this morning.
“Unbelievable performance from every player last night. What a night! Bring on Man City.”
I though the feeling after Leicester was good but this tops the lot. Unbelievable performance from every player last night. What a night! Bring on Man City https://t.co/zP9bWEutcO
— Padraig Amond (@padraigamond21) February 6, 2019
Not only was it an incredible night football-wise for Newport, it was a truly special one for their goalkeeper Joe Day, who made a quick dash to the hospital after as his wife went into labour.
“The professional that he is, he turned his phone off,” Newport manager Michael Flynn told BT Sport after the game.
“I didn’t hide it, believe it or not. As soon as the game was over and we’d won, he 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.”
"He said gaffer, thank you so much, can I go please?"
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 5, 2019
Newport County goalkeeper Joe Day cut his celebrations short as his wife went into labour during the game!
Now that is dedication to the cause 👊 #DontMugOffTheCup pic.twitter.com/rotTqYtjAR
👶👶 @NewportCounty goalkeeper Joe Day's wife has been close to giving birth to twins for days.
— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 5, 2019
🕤 Tonight, she went into labour during The Exiles' 2-0 win over @Boro.
🏃 At the FT whistle, Joe raced straight down the tunnel to be with his wife.
💛 Good luck Joe and family! pic.twitter.com/w46gD2GjoM
Amond was on RTÉ Radio 1′s Morning Ireland earlier and confirmed that Day’s wife Lizzy had given birth to two girls, rounding off a day to remember.
He added, on his goal: “The minute it left my foot I knew it was going into the top corner.
“For that split-second before everyone else realises it, you know what is happening and where it is going to go and it’s just a great feeling.”
Insisting that last night, like their win over 2016/17 Premier League champions Leicester City “wasn’t a fluke”, Amond says that the pressure is off despite the “daunting” tie ahead as they prepare to face City.
“We’ll do everything we can,” he told RTÉ. “It’s going to be a tough game again but this time we are playing one of the best sides in world club football. There will be a few sleepless nights ahead of the game but we have nothing to lose.
“Nobody expects us to win the game or get anything from it. The most important thing is for the club that financially the future is secured for the next few years as this run in the FA Cup brings in an amount of money. For the players we can really enjoy the build-up and all the pressure is off us.
“Hopefully we can put in a performance like the last couple of rounds and you never know what can happen.”
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