A FOUR-GOAL blitz after the break ensured Newport County AFC saw off 10-man Wrexham and booked a lucrative FA Cup third-round clash with Leicester City.

The former Premier League champions will be coming to Rodney Parade on January 6 and County are guaranteed a £204,000 windfall thanks to prize money and live broadcast fees.

Watched by 2013 play-off final hero Aaron O’Connor, the Exiles took charge against their Welsh rivals once Luke Young saw red for a full-blooded challenge on Mickey Demetriou after just 12 minutes.

Wrexham made Michael Flynn's men work hard for it before the interval, but three goals in 16 second-half minutes blew away the National League promotion contenders.

Padraig Amond and Jamille Matt were both on target before a Mark Carrington own goal made it 3-0, and a late Dan Butler effort completed the rout.

Scot Bennett and Matty Dolan had come in for the injured Mark O’Brien and Andrew Crofts from the start, while Antoine Semenyo replaced Josh Sheehan.

Bennett began in a midfield holding role just in front of the back four in a 4-3-3 formation but the carefully prepared tactics went out of the window after the opening exchanges.

Young may have won the ball but his challenge was undoubtedly reckless.

He lunged in with studs showing and caught Demetriou on the shin and referee Kevin Johnson didn’t hesitate to produce the red card.

Wrexham goalkeeper Rob Lainton and captain Shaun Pearson were also booked, as was County’s Butler, as both sets of players squared up to each other in the aftermath of the sending off.

As well as raising the temperature on the pitch, the incident whipped the crowd into even more of a frenzy with the home fans scenting blood.

But, while they dominated the remainder of the first half, the Exiles were not clever enough in their use of the ball and that soon led to signs of frustration in the stands and in the dugout.

There were chances, with Tyreeq Bakinson, Demetriou, Butler, Matt and Semenyo all going close.

County were playing with just Demetriou and Fraser Franks in defence and Butler was the main outlet, sending in a series of dangerous crosses from the left wing.

Wrexham dropped deeper and deeper and defended doggedly but too often Flynn’s men showed a lack of composure in the first half and they could even have trailed at the break if it wasn’t for a fantastic save from Joe Day.

The goalkeeper came to the rescue five minutes before the interval when Matty Dolan lost the ball. Paul Rutherford’s shot was heading for the top corner before Day stuck out a hand and tipped it over.

South Wales Argus:

Flynn elected to keep things as they were for the start of the second half and he was rewarded as his side made the all-important breakthrough within four minutes of the restart.

Dolan’s corner was headed towards goal by Franks and Amond was in the right place to help it across the line and draw level with Matt on 12 goals for the season.

Flynn was in no mood to sit on that lead, however, and Matt soon edged ahead of his strike partner with a goal of his own.

The Exiles boss swiftly replaced Bennett with the fit-again Robbie Willmott and he has an almost immediate impact.

After some great work by Amond to keep the ball alive, Willmott cut the ball back intelligently for Matt and the striker had all the time in the world to guide a shot into the bottom corner and put his side in charge just before the hour mark.

The home fans roared their approval and they really enjoyed the final half hour.

Amond should have made it 3-0 but he somehow headed wide after being picked out by Butler at the far post.

The striker made amends when Franks teed up the ball from a free-kick and his shot was diverted into the net off Carrington’s heel on 65 minutes.

“Jamie Vardy, we’re coming for you,” sang the County fans and, with the game won, Flynn introduced Joss Labadie and Cameron Pring for Dolan and Demetriou.

Amond slammed a shot against the post in the final minute before Butler’s long-range effort sealed a perfect night for the hosts.

County: Day; Pipe, Franks, Demetriou (Pring, 76), Butler; Bakinson, Bennett (Willmott, 52), Dolan (Labadie, 67); Semenyo, Matt, Amond

Subs not used: Townsend, Forbes, Sheehan, Harris

Booked: Butler, Pipe

Referee: Kevin Johnson

Attendance: 4,143 (501 Wrexham)

Argus star man: Amond