Newport County striker Padraig Amond hopes the drinks are on him for a change as he attempts to add Manchester City to his list of FA Cup giant-killing victims tonight.
Irishman Amond is regularly toasted at his local bar in Carlow where owner and best friend, Edward Cahill, has been left out of pocket through free drinks promotions on the 30-year-old scoring in the cup.
Amond scored against Tottenham last season and has netted in every round this term as County have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 1948/49 season.
“The two of us sat beside each other in class from infants and juniors right up to the sixth class,” Amond said of his friendship with Cahill.
“They have a bar back home and, to drum up a little bit of interest, they’ve offered a free drink to customers when I’ve scored in the cup.
“They’ve paid out quite a few times but a lot of them are coming over for this game, so hopefully I can repay them with another goal.”
Amond has spent his entire career in the lower leagues since starting out at Shamrock Rovers and Portuguese club Paços de Ferreira.
He played for Accrington, Morecambe, Grimsby and Hartlepool before joining Sky Bet League Two club Newport in August 2017.
Amond has scored over 100 goals in the English Football League but few better than the second in Newport’s 2-0 FA Cup fourth-round replay win over Middlesbrough.
“That’s one of my best goals,” said Amond, who executed a move straight off the training ground as he ran on to Robbie Willmott’s corner before rifling a rising first-time shot into the top left-hand corner.
“Everything about the goal was great – clean strike, in front of the cameras, the goal to clinch the game and putting us in the next round against Man City.
“There was a split-second before everyone else realises what’s going to happen.
“When I hit that ball I know – and no-one else in the ground or on TV does – that it’s going in.
“I know it straight away, and that’s one of the best moments. If you could bottle that feeling you’d make a lot of money.”
Asked if he could repeat the goal against Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions, Amond quipped: “We’ll just try and win a corner first!
“They’re such a great side that even if they rest a few players they’ll probably put out 11 internationals.
“You’re still looking at 11 players who would make it into the starting XIs of the majority of Premier League teams. It’s not as if it’s going to be a weakened side that you’re licking your lips.
“We know it’s going to be a tough game regardless, so first and foremost we have to put in a performance that we can be proud of.”
Newport manager Michael Flynn has already got the better of Claude Puel and Tony Pulis in County’s run so far and now has sights on what just be the biggest scalp in management in City’s Pep Guardiola.
“It’s a long shot, but I believe if we play to the best of our ability and they have a bit of an off day and miss a few chances then we can cause the biggest upset in the history of the FA Cup,” said Flynn.
“I’m not unrealistic or delusional. I’m hoping they rest a few, I want a few of them to have a bad game and I want every single one of our players to play as well as they can, because that’s the only chance we’ve got.
“It’s always a little bit easier when you’re at home. I wouldn’t even be contemplating a win if it was at the Etihad.
“It’s going to be really difficult anyway at Rodney Parade, but it’s about the occasion.
“It’s about enjoying the occasion and making sure the players go out there with the belief that they can cause problems for Man City and believing that we deserve to be there, because we do.
“We want to cause Man City problems and give a good account of ourselves and then enjoy Saturday evening and look back on a fantastic day, win, lose or draw.”