FA Cup first round: All the shocks as non-league sides progress

Alvechurch belied the 96-place gap between themselves and Cheltenham Town to win 2-1 at the League One club

The first weekend in November is when the magic of the FA Cup truly begins as the non-league sides left in the competition pit their wits against the full-time professionals from League One and Two.

And, as ever, there were a fair smattering of upsets as underdogs overcame the odds to beat higher-ranked opponents.

BBC Sport looks back at some of Saturday's biggest FA Cup first round shocks.

96-place gap? No problem

Everyone's eyes are always on the lowest-ranked side left in the competition come first round weekend, and this year it was seventh-tier Alvechurch.

The Southern Premier Division Central strugglers - one place above the relegation places - faced the toughest of tests as they went up against League One side Cheltenham Town, who were 96 places above them in the pyramid.

But Cheltenham had not counted on Danny Waldron - the Worcestershire village side's striker who scored both their goals in a 2-1 win at Whaddon Road.

"It's something you watch when you're young, but to come and score two goals in the first round of the FA Cup is something that doesn't come round very often," Waldron told BBC Radio WM.

"I'm feeling very good right now and looking forward to the next round already."

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The club took about 1,500 fans to their League One opponents, something that Waldron said made the difference:

"We're not used to big crowds, that's the most we've played in front of for a long time.

"They gave us a massive lift today and we needed it.

"It's definitely my highest moment, the best that I've done so far, so it's a proud achievement and we'll see what happens next round now."

But for every winner there has to be a loser, and the defeat piled more pressure on rookie Cheltenham boss Wade Elliott.

He saw his side lose 7-0 in the first round of the Carabao Cup at home to Exeter City in August, so Saturday was a second embarrassing cup exit for him this season.

"The first thing you have to do is congratulate Alvechurch. I think anything I can try and say in mitigation will sound like I'm trying to detract from them, which isn't the case at all," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

Cashing in their Chips

Another big upset was National League South side Chippenham Town beating Lincoln City 1-0.

Joe Hanks was the hero as his goal just before half-time saw a side one point off the relegation places in the sixth tier beat a team mid-table in League One.

And it's not just the pride and prestige of progressing to round two, there is also the small matter of £41,000 in prize money to the winning sides in each round.

Having entered in the second qualifying round Chippenham have now earned almost £60,000 in prize money from the FA Cup this season and could more than double that if they win in round two.

"The thing with the FA Cup money is you never budget for it because you never know what you're going to win," Chippenham chairman Neil Blackmore told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"To win anything at all is a bonus, so to win £41,000 today is absolutely unbelievable.

"This is an older club and quite expensive to run, these floodlights cost us a fortune the way energy prices are so there'll be lots of things to spend it on, so it won't last long, but it's going to be a massive, massive help to us."

'Fantastic day' for Farnborough

Michael Fernandes was mobbed by Farnborough fans after his goal in the 86th minute saw the non-league side take the lead at Sutton United

One place above Chippenham in National League South are Farnborough, but like their rivals they are in the hat for round two after a 2-0 win at League Two side Sutton United.

Late goals from Michael Fernandes and Francis Amartey secured their passage to Monday's draw as they extended an unbeaten run to six matches.

"It's a fantastic day," their manager Spencer Day said.

"When you've been in football a long time like I have, you have to enjoy these moments, they don't come around very often."

'We didn't come to kick them off the pitch'

King's Lynn Town are flying at the top end of National League North and showed why as they won 1-0 at mid-table League Two side Doncaster Rovers.

Former Southampton, Grimsby and Port Vale midfielder Tommy Widdrington is the club's manager, and he says Rovers' style suited his men.

"We didn't come to try and kick them off the pitch, we tried to play football and they do allow you to do that," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"We had to put our 'A' game out there and I think that was probably as good a performance collectively as we've had for a while, and there's not a better time than to do it on a stage like this, is there?

"I'm hoping for their sake they get a plum draw in the next round because I think to a man they absolutely deserve it."

Weymouth get replay

Ahkeem Rose's free-kick secured a replay for National League South strugglers Weymouth

"We had training on Thursday and the gaffer said the FA Cup balls are quite light and if we get a free-kick just strike straight through it, and that's what I did and it went in."

The words of Weymouth goalscorer Ahkeem Rose as his free-kick earned a 1-1 draw and replay against League Two side AFC Wimbledon.

The result was one of a number of other decent performances on Saturday.

National League side Chesterfield were 1-0 winners over League Two Northampton Town while Grimsby recorded an excellent 5-1 win over League One leaders Plymouth Argyle at Blundell Park.

But spare a thought for Taunton Town - the National League South side were hammered 6-0 at Milton Keynes Dons - sometimes the FA Cup form book does not lie after all.