“IF YOU dream the impossible, it can happen," was the line that jumped out during Padraig Amond’s post-match press conference at Rodney Parade on Sunday night.

An hour earlier he had stood, hands on hips, waiting for the referee’s whistle and knowing that his 85th-minute penalty could secure victory for Newport County AFC against former Premier League champions Leicester City.

As the fans held their breath, Amond was the coolest man in the stadium and he calmly slotted the spot-kick past Wales international Danny Ward in the Leicester net.

It wasn’t quite mission impossible – more like mission improbable – but it was a fantastic achievement by Michael Flynn’s men and the 2-1 win has to go down as one of the best results in the club’s history.

County beat Championship giants Leeds United 12 months ago and pushed Tottenham Hotspur all the way to a replay at Wembley but it had been 55 long years since they last toppled a team from the top tier.

And it was fitting in a way that it was Leicester who followed Sheffield Wednesday (1964) and Huddersfield Town (1949) as the club’s next top-flight victims.

After shocking the football world by winning the Premier League title in 2016, the Foxes know better than any other club that impossible dreams can become reality.

Under the stewardship of manager Claudio Ranieri and chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester captured the hearts of the nation as they beat the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City to the title just three years ago.

Srivaddhanaprabha tragically lost his life, along with four others, in a horrific helicopter crash in October and there was a touching tribute to him from a group of Exiles fans on Sunday.

The Amber Army supporters group had a special banner made for the big match, which read: “Thank you for letting us believe that anything is possible. Rest in peace Vichai.”

After the match it was presented to a group of Leicester fans who promised to find a place for it at their King Power Stadium home.

It’s a fantastic gesture that only adds to the feel-good factor that this cup run has brought to the city of Newport.

And, after a tough six weeks in League Two, the performance and the result against Leicester has given everyone connected with the club a major pick-me-up.

Flynn, his players and the fans have grown frustrated with a winless run that has seen the Exiles drop to 13th in the table today.

But the jubilation of a bumper 5,700 home crowd at Rodney Parade on Sunday was a far cry from the desperation felt by the 150 dedicated fans who made it to Stevenage on New Year’s Day.

Hopefully the team can use this massive confidence-boost to kick on in the league – starting at Crewe Alexandra this coming Saturday.

That’s where it all began for Flynn as manager of his home town club back in March 2017 and it will feel like the Exiles’ league campaign is starting again at the weekend.

The money earned from the cup run, a minimum of £450,000 so far, will also surely allow the manager some room for manoeuvre in the transfer window.

But Amond, who signed a new deal to stay at the club last week, was thinking more long-term when he assessed the impact of the win over Claude Puel’s team.

"You see the excitement after the game – you see all the kids waiting to get things signed by the players," said the 30-year-old.

“If we can inspire the younger generation to want to grow up and play for Newport County [it’s great] – hopefully we have done that.

“It's very easy [for kids] to want to play for a Cardiff or a Swansea or bigger teams. But what you want is kids wanting to grow up and play for Newport County, for their local club.

“If we can do that, we can go a long way towards securing the future of the club.”

However old you are, if you were inside Rodney Parade on Sunday it was certainly a night that will live long in the memory.