The talking points from Newport County versus Watford

Goals in the first half from Tristan Abrahams and Joss Labadie put the Exiles in command of the round three clash.

An Adalberto Penaranda penalty gave the Hornets a sniff but Padraig Amond settled the tie with a comprehensive finish after 65 minutes.

They now wait to see if it's League Two rivals Morecambe or Premier League big boys Newcastle, who meet tonight, that visit Rodney Parade next week.

READ MORE: Match report from another memorable cup upset

Here are the talking points from the clash at Rodney Parade…

ANOTHER UPSET

This was a superb performance by County with Watford added to the scalps of Blackburn, Leeds, Leicester, Middlesbrough and Swansea. Add to that a draw against Tottenham.

At what stage does beating opposition from higher divisions stop being such an upset?!

It was the style of this display that was so striking – the Hornets were in the Premier League this summer yet it was the Exiles who shifted the ball impressively and cherished possession.

County were well-drilled and energetic; this was a well-deserved victory as it had been against the Swans.

They were pretty comfortable and responded to Watford’s penalty with a good spell that was rewarded by Amond’s winner.

There was barely a scare after that with County seeing out the game with maturity, discipline and calmness.

Where does this rank on the upsets? Sadly, the lack of fans means it’s not near the top despite the size of the achievement.

Rodney Parade would have been bouncing for a Welsh derby win and humbling of the Hornets but the sound of near-silence takes away a large chunk of the magic of the cup.

SUPER SHEEHAN

Perhaps, it’s just as well that County haven’t been on television for the wins against the Swans and Watford because Josh Sheehan would have been the focus of a post-match compilation of praise from the studio pundits.

The Exiles are playing on the deck and it’s Sheehan, who clearly has the ability to play at a higher level than League Two, that makes them tick.

The energy of Liam Shephard down the right and Ryan Haynes down the left is rewarded because they know that a run probably won’t be wasted. The forwards run behind in the knowledge that they have a playmaker with the ability to find them.

While Watford were floundering, a London-based journalist asked from behind his mask about Sheehan after being struck by his comfort on the ball.

There are sure to be League One clubs looking at him, perhaps even ones in the Championship, but hopefully October 5 will pass with the west Walians still an Exile.

FORWARD TOMBOLA

Manager Michael Flynn changed his front line for the Hornets and both Abrahams and Amond scored.

Don’t rule out one of both of them missing out on the XI at Bolton this weekend because every forward has impressed so far this season.

Ryan Taylor played well against Barrow on Saturday and scored the winner, yet the veteran striker remained on the bench against Watford.

Similarly, Saikou Janneh had caused problems in the 2-1 League Two win with his energy yet didn’t get to take his bib off.

Add Kevin Ellison into the mix and Flynn has plenty of options up top, and that allows him to ask them to lead the pressing game.

They didn’t give the Hornets any rest and that pressure earned the breathing space when Amond exploited a poor pass. Taylor did exactly the same against Barrow at the same end three days earlier.

The striker are fighting for spots and it’s not just their goals tally that counts.

WELCOME HEADACHES

Apologies for this repetition, as it has been a talking point plenty of times already this season.

With David Longe-King the sole injury absentee, Flynn has some terrific selection headaches with competition driving performances.

In normal circumstances a winning team wouldn’t be changed but 2020/21 is not normal with all clubs facing hectic schedules.

County’s busy fixture list has got even busier courtesy of this cup run so Flynn will be delighted that the new men have delivered when he has made a change.

He made five changes from the Barrow win and each player – Matty Dolan, Joss Labadie, Scot Bennett, Amond and Abrahams – was excellent.

The return of the dependable Bennett was a huge boost and it was striking that when Dolan strode forward with the ball at 3-1 his place at the heart of the defence was filled straight away by the fit-again Cornishman.

On-loan Swindon prospect Scott Twine has been excellent this season but he dropped out of the XI and wasn’t missed.

Maybe Flynn will consider experimenting with his wing-backs soon because he needs to make sure that Shephard and Haynes are not sorely missed.

The bar has been set high for those that will be needed down the right and the left, and it’s down to the new men to respond when the chance comes.