Lewis Banks Puts Altrincham Ahead of Notts County in FA Cup
Lewis Banks scored from close range to put Altrincham 2-1 up against Notts County in the first round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
The FA Cup is England's oldest knockout competition, and it opens its doors to clubs from every level of the professional and non-league game. That is why a match like this can bring a non-league side face to face with a club from further up the ladder. Altrincham play in the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football. Notts County are in League One, the third tier. Upsets and giant-killing nights are part of the appeal of this stage of the competition, and the gap between the two clubs makes this tie a useful example.
The match was played at Altrincham's J. Davidson Stadium, with a scheduled kick-off of 5.30pm. It was shown live on BBC and TNT Sports, and ESPN also provided live coverage, with a running score and stats. Altrincham FC had flagged the broadcast details in advance, giving home fans a chance to follow the game on television as well as in the stands.
Banks's goal is the moment that put the home side in front. BBC Sport published video of the strike, which came from close range. Close-range goals are often the simplest kind to score, but they still need a striker to be in the right place at the right moment. Banks is a local story as well. According to the club's squad page, he was born in the Potteries, the area around Stoke-on-Trent, and he captained his home club's under-21 team before rising into the first team.
The two clubs have met before. Altrincham won 1-0 in September 2021, and Notts County won 2-1 in the FA Trophy later that year. Notts County also beat Altrincham 3-0 in May 2022. Those results are history now, and this tie started again from zero.
The full result, and what it means for the rest of the Cup run, will depend on how the remaining minutes went. For the supporters at the J. Davidson Stadium, though, the moment that counts is the one that put their side ahead, and a goal from a local lad in a Cup tie is something a crowd remembers.
