Newport County's heroic success over Swansea City in the FAW Premier Cup quarter-final last night could be a taste of things to come.

With full-time football very high on manager Peter Nicholas' County agenda, he is desperate for Newport to be playing the likes of Brian Flynn's Football League Swans on a week-to-week basis.

And with last night's Newport Stadium performance in mind, Nicholas is now imagining how far the Exiles could progress if his proposal to employ full-time players gets the green light.

The Dr Martens League, Premier Division, part-timers showed their capabilities as they conjured up their most memorable victory since their 1989 inception, putting Division Three Swans to the sword in memorable fashion - and the County players have all still got day-jobs too.

A double from tenacious frontman Garry Shephard (pictured) and a superbly-worked Ryan Ashington strike fired County past the dying Swans, beaten finalists in the previous two seasons, and into a FAW Premier Cup semi-final for the first time.

Swansea's Jamie Wood scored an equaliser for the visitors -but the night belonged to County and their fanatical band of supporters who have been through more lows than a limbo dancer.

And if Nicholas, a former assistant manager at the Vetch Field, himself was writing the script, he couldn't have dreamt up a better opening for his non-Leaguers, 29 pyramid places below Flynn's men.

Shephard, a constant threat all night, cut inside, sent a deep cross towards makeshift targetman Jeff Eckhardt, who made more than 500 Football League appearances at centre-half, but the ball missed Eckhardt and flew into the corner of Roger Freestone's net - with a little help from the swirling wind.

However, that strike seemed to kick Swansea into action as James Thomas went close twice. The first effort he shot into the side-netting when he should have scored and the second, just 90 seconds later, brought out the best in Newport goalkeeper Pat Mountain with a superb point-blank save.

But the Swans soon hit back as Wood capitalised on Steve Benton's slip as he fired Lee Jenkins' left-wing cross past a helpless Mountain with ten minutes on the clock.

County, though, weren't rattled as they kept their composure. And it was Shephard the architect this time as he prised open the City defence for Ashington to slide the hosts back into the lead on 26 minutes with his second goal in the amber of the Exiles.

And it was Newport who threatened most as Billy Clark had a close-range header cleared off the line by Alan Tate after Mike Fowler swung in an inviting right-wing corner.

As the game progressed and Swansea looked for that all-important second leveller, they left gaps at the back but never really tested Mountain's goal as they lacked guile and creativity in the final third of the field.

Leon Britton, on loan to the Swans from West Ham, had a shot well-saved by Mountain and lanky substitute John Williams went close but they weren't clear-cut opportunities.

Newport kept their shape well, defended in numbers and broke quickly - and that's how County got the killer goal.

Eckhardt flicked on Clark's long punt upfield and Shephard, who ran the length of the pitch, was quick to pounce and he clinically finished his 13th goal of the season - his third in two Premier Cup outings.

County have at last taken the scalp of a Football League club and everyone at the club is in dream-land.

Newport County (4-5-1): Mountain; Collins, Thomas, Clark, Benton; Ashington, Davies, Rose, Fowler (Stevenson, 90), Shephard; Eckhardt. Substitutes (not used) Walker, Plant, Perry, French.

Swansea City (4-3-3): Freestone; Evans, Smith, Tate, Jenkins (Stiens, 78); Mumford, Reid, Britton; Wood, Nugent (Watkin, 46), Thomas (Williams, 67). Substitutes (not used): O'Leary, Phillips. Booked: P Reid 85 (foul)

Attendance: 843 Referee: Phil Southall (Port Talbot)