Notts County edge past Altrincham on penalties after fog-hit FA Cup draw
Notts County beat Altrincham 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in their FA Cup first round tie, played through thick fog on Saturday 7 November 2026.
The FA Cup is open to clubs from across the English football pyramid, and first round ties often bring a big club to a smaller ground. Altrincham are a National League side, the division just below the Football League. Notts County were looking to get through the first round, and they had to work hard for it.
The match stayed level at 2-2 after 90 minutes. Extra time, an extra 30 minutes added when a cup tie is still level, did not produce a winner either. That meant a penalty shootout, where each side takes five kicks from the spot and the player who misses has to live with it. Notts County scored three and Altrincham two, and the visitors were through.
The fog gave the afternoon a strange feel. BBC Sport described the game as a fog-filled spectacle, and talkSPORT reported on the weather and the reaction to it. Players and supporters were trying to follow a ball through murky air as well as an opponent.
For Notts County, this was a reminder of how tricky the first round can be. Their history in the competition has its share of hard nights. Salford City knocked them out in 2018, and a last-gasp goal from Jake Beesley settled a 2-1 first round tie in 2021. This time the story ends with them still in the draw.
For Altrincham, there is pride to take from holding a club of Notts County's name to a 2-2 draw in front of their own supporters, and then pushing a penalty shootout all the way. Cup football rarely gives a second chance. Teams either go through or go home, and the losing side goes home carrying every missed chance.
The next round will bring fresh opponents and another draw. For now, both clubs have something to talk about, and fans who stayed in the fog got a result they will remember.
