FA Cup wrap: Zola spares Burton´s blushes

Calvin Zola’s 93rd-minute equaliser saw Burton Albion escape with a 3-3 draw in the FA Cup first round at home to Altrincham on Sunday.

Conference North side Altrincham could have gone ahead as early as the fifth minute of the match at the Pirelli Stadium, with Damien Reeves guilty of missing a penalty for the visitors.

Carl Rodgers did put Altrincham ahead when he scored in the 29th minute, and Nathan Stanton’s own-goal doubled the lead five minutes later.

Alexander Diamond pulled one back for League Two side Burton eight minutes into the second half, before Robbie Weir missed a spot-kick which would have drawn the home side level.

Jacques Maghoma equalised in the 77th minute, only for another own-goal, this time from Damien McCrory, to gift the away team a 3-2 lead with just five minutes of the contest remaining.

Fortunately for Burton, Zola was on hand to bag the equaliser deep into injury time, forcing the tie to a replay at Altrincham’s Moss Lane home.

Two matches fell victim to poor weather on Sunday, with Braintree Town’s game at home to Tranmere Rovers and the visit of Leyton Orient to Gloucester City both postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

Gloucester captain Tom Webb, a teacher at a local school, revealed the extent of the players’ disappointment at learning of the cancellation.

“We had done all our preparation work and were in good shape,” he said.

“We were getting ready for the game and then heard it had been cancelled on Sky Sports news. It’s a bit of an anti-climax after all the coverage the game had had this week.

“I know there were quite a few pupils … were planning to go along, the support we’ve all had this week has been incredible and goes to show how people feel about the FA Cup.

“Hopefully the fans will turn out and stick with us for the postponed match.”

In the only other match to be played on Sunday, Jake Gosling’s 49th-minute goal proved to be the winner as Conference South club Dorchester Town stunned Plymouth Argyle 1-0.

The League Two visitors had been forced to play the vast majority of the match with 10 men following the ninth-minute dismissal of Conor Hourihane.