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 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 phenomenal 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.

The joy of 53

The omens were there for Newport ahead of the tie.
They were separated by 53 places in the Football League behind the Yorkshire side, the same margin that split Coventry City and Stoke City before the Sky Blues' surprise win on Saturday.

Not only that, 53 was also the margin that separated Cardiff City and Leeds in 2002, when the Welsh side stunned David O'Leary's team, who at the time were contending for the Premier League title.

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

Newport created several chances, including Padraig Amond's blocked first-half effortThe two teams were hardly strangers this term having already played at Elland Road in the Carabao Cup, with Leeds victorious 5-1 on that occasion.

However, ask any Newport fan and they will point out that they created several chances in the first half of that game and so it proved 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 with the angle against them.

County trailed at the break, but it was hard to see how.

Nine changes cost Leeds

Leeds looked vulnerable and unfamiliar, perhaps no surprise as only Berardi and Kalvin Phillips maintained their places from the side that started the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest last time out.

Thomas Christiansen's side were on the back foot for much of the match and Newport missed a succession of chances after Pierre-Michel Lasogga inadvertently gave them the lead when Berardi's 30-yard drive struck Lasogga on the back of the leg and completely wrong-footed Newport goalkeeper Joe Day.

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

Amond volleyed wide acrobatically just before the hour mark, while a wicked delivery from Scot Bennett just needed a touch, any touch, but fizzed across Andy Lonergan's goal, while Labadie volleyed over with 20 remaining.

Leeds were looking to slow down the game and manage the contest and did so better after the break, occasionally threatening on the counter, with Lasogga forcing Day to parry a robust shot.

However, on 76 minutes their magic moment arrived with Frank Nouble's cross deflected off Amond and then Shaughnessy with Lonergan helpless to do anything.

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

However, super sub McCoulsky struck and County held on comfortable once Saiz saw red for his part in a melee.

Man of the match: Robbie Willmott

Robbie Willmott (left) was superb and, in July, he was a free agent working part-time pushing trolleys around a supermarket car park.

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 has 11 goals for us this season and he has been superb for us. He was hungry and wanted it and I am delighted."