Only 44 miles separate Cheltenham and Alvechurch, but the short 56-minute journey up the M5 does not quite emphasise the dramatic distance between the two in the footballing pyramid.
Four leagues, and a staggering 96 league places come between the two clubs, a stat that puts in perspective just what an incredible achievement it was from the Worcestershire-based side to pull of their remarkable 2-1 win on Saturday that sent them through to the second round of the most famous domestic cup competition in the world.
It was Danny Waldron’s brace that sent the Southern Premier League Central side through, with his goals coming either side of a Ryan Jackson strike that provided a rare moment of celebration for the home fans on a dismal day at The Completely Suzuki Stadium.
As Alvechurch wait in anticipation for the second-round draw that takes place tonight, Cheltenham must turn their attentions to League 2 action for the remainder of the season, as their 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Exeter had already dumped them out of the Carabao Cup.
After the magic of the cup was highlighted once again at the weekend, what better way to celebrate the return of the competition than a look back at the biggest shocks in recent memory.
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1: Chelsea 2-4 Bradford, 2015
After going two goals at Stamford Bridge, any football fan would have been forgiven for turning over the channel and tuning into a Saturday evening film. The real theatre, however, was just commencing at the Bridge as Bradford proceeded to score four goals and earn themselves a place in the last-16 of the cup. A stunning performance from the League 1 side in the face of a Chelsea capitulation will go down as one of the greatest results in the tournament’s history.
2: Manchester United 0-1 Leeds United, 2010
One of the longest standing rivalries in English football was renewed at Old Trafford in 2010 when Championship side Leeds faced United in the third round of the Cup. What followed would be one of the greatest days in Leeds history as they stunned the 70,000 fans in Red, White and Black as Jermaine Beckford condemned Sir Alex Ferguson to his first ever third round cup exit.
3: Liverpool 0-1 Wimbledon, 1988
The day ‘The Crazy Gang’ triumphed against all the odds and beat the League champions at Wembley. Lawrie Sanchez was the man who bundled home a header in the only goal of a ferocious game where the underdog truly did rise up and steal the headlines. The magic of the cup, ey!
