Newport County are in dreamland after clinching one of the biggest FA Cup shocks of all time by beating Leicester City.
Padraig Amond’s 85th minute penalty put League Two Newport – 74 places below Premier League Leicester – into the fourth round.
Jamille Matt’s 10th minute header looked like clinching their place only for Rachid Ghezzal to silence Rodney Parade with a stunning equaliser from 30 yards seven minutes from time.
But Leicester manager Claude Puel, who was heavily criticised for making seven changes for their recent Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester City, which they lost on penalties, will be under scrutiny again after doing the same at Rodney Parade.
Leicester had plenty of chances galore to have won the tie convincingly – including hitting the bar through Marc Albrighton – but were so wasteful against a side who had only won one of their previous eight games.
Despite their changes, Leicester still carried plenty of experience, including three of the back four who won the Premier League title in 2016, and six title winners in total.
They first went close to scoring in the fourth minute. Ghezzal’s curling, first-time shot was superbly palmed away by goalkeeper Joe Day after a scramble in the box.
Newport quickly punished them as Matt put the Welsh side in ecstasy in the 10th minute with a brilliant goal.
The 29-year-old striker lost Wes Morgan and headed in Robbie Willmott’s inviting cross off the inside of the post for his 14th goal of the season.
Matt could have grabbed a second goal for Newport on the half hour, but just couldn’t make a proper connection as he slid in from point-blank range to connect with Amond’s cross.
Leicester dominated but they couldn’t find a way through Newport’s packed defence, until Ghezzal’s stunning strike, which came after Day superbly blocked Kelechi Iheanacho’s header.
But Newport hit back when Albrighton handballed a cross and Amond calmly sent Danny Ward the wrong way from the spot for his 16th goal of the season.
Debutant Vashon Neufville, on loan from West Ham, almost made it 3-1 Newport with a deflected shot turned wide before Maddison curled a fraction wide at the other end.