Alty laboured for two hours to run out 3-0 winners over a Harborough Town team reduced to ten men just seven minutes after kick-off. Striker O'Sullivan saw red for a challenge on Fallon as the 18 year-old Alty keeper, making his FA Cup debut, came out of his box to make a clearance.

The ten men of Harborough kept Altrincham at bay throughout the ninety minutes before extra time was required.

With the hosts understandably tiring, three Altrincham goals came in extra time, with a brace by Knowles (98 and 110 minutes) sandwiching Reed's effort (107 mins).

SCORERS:

• 98 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (Harborough Town 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 107 mins: Sam REED (Harborough Town 0 ALTRINCHAM 2)
• 110 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (Harborough Town 0 ALTRINCHAM 3)

REFEREE: Mr Niall Smith, who had refereed Altrincham's opening game of this season, at home to Aldershot Town in the Enterprise National League.

ATTENDANCE: 1,813, just one more than saw the original tie at Altrincham. It beat the previous record attendance at the ground.

TEAM NEWS:

Alty were without injured loanee keeper Hutchinson who suffered concussion late in the original tie on Saturday, so teenager Louie Fallon made his FA Cup debut. He did play a full National League Cup match last season as well as playing 19 minutes of a National League game against Braintree Town last season as a substitute for Ethan Ross.

Teenager Max Beddow came into the squad as goalkeeping cover, otherwise the squad was unchanged from last Saturday.

So, once again, players not in the squad were Kirk, Kosylo, Cooper, Sass-Davies, Weaver and Ross.

Recent loanee signings, Billy Waters and Jack Hinchy were both named on the bench, as in the original tie.

Harborough's starting line-up for the replay included Arlott-John who had made a good impression in the original tie at Moss Lane.

LINE-UPS:

HARBOROUGH TOWN (All yellow): 1. Elliott Taylor, 2. George Carline, 3. Elliot Putman, 4. Liam Dolman, 5. Connor Kennedy (c), 6. Alex Morris, 7. Devon Kelly-Evans, 8. Josh Walsh, 9. Riley O'Sullivan, 10. Danny Newton, 11. Dempsey Arlott-John. Subs: 12. Jutorre Burgess, 14. Andre Changunda, 15. Brady Hickey, 16. Paul Malone, 17. Luis Rose, 18. Ben Stephens, 19. James Taylor.

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes, black shorts and white socks): 30 Luke Hutchinson, 2. Lewis Banks, 34. Dan Sassi, 4. Lewis Baines (c), 23. Tylor Golden 22. Tom Crawford, 6. Elliot Osborne, 8 Isaac Marriott, 20. Kahrel Reddin 11. Jimmy Knowles, 9. James Gale. Subs: 3. Sam Reed, 7. Olly Crankshaw, 10. Keaton Ward, 21. Jack Hinchy, 24. Sam Barnes, 41. Max Beddow (gk), 29. Billy Waters.

Against a Harborough side, unbeaten this season in league and national cup competitions, Altrincham were looking for their first FA Cup win in nine ties (and replays) since 2021, which was their worst FA Cup run in all of the 120 years since they first played in the competition.

Alty were also seeking their first win in eight games in any competition this season, since they had beaten Sutton United on 6 September.

REPORT:

The game off to a controversial start as Harborough striker O'Sullivan was shown a red card for a challenge on teenage keeper Fallon, as the Alty goalkeeper went to clear a long ball in the "D" of his box (7 mins) O'Sullivan raised boot was probably the decuding factor in his dismissal. Thankfully, Fallon receovered, to spare fellow teenage keeper Max Beddow an early debut

So, the Bees faced 83 minutes of paying with ten men against a team from two divisions higher up the pyramid. Surely it would be a formality for Altrincham to make their credentials count?

Despite plenty of possession, however, the visitors failed to impose themselves, with home keeper Taylor's save from Knowles as good as it got, an unproductive corner resulting after the keeper had received treatment (20 mins).

A late challenge on Marriott earned home captain Kennedy a yellow card (22 mins) followed soon after by a caution for team-mate Carline (25 mins).

When Alty did get a sight of goal, their shooting was off-beam as Knowles demonstrated (28 mins). Then the best chance so far arrived but Banks fired narrowly over the bar (32 mins).

From a corner, taken by Marriott, Banks got in a header which cleared the bar (34 mins). Then Knowles tried an optimistic shot which was off target too (37 mins).

In the 45th minute, after Reddin had found Knowles, the latter got an effort on target but Taylor produced a fine save to deny him. Five added minutes did produce a visitors' corner but, before the break, at the other end Baines was booked for a tug on Arlott-John (45+4 mins).

Indeed, Harborough were far from out of the game, and Altrincham were now grateful to Fallon for a good save after an error by the otherwise dependable Sassi (45+5 mins).

For the second half Barnes replaced Baines at centre-back with Osborne assuming the captaincy. However, it was Harborough who were first out of the traps as Arlott-John threatened (46 mins).

And, a little later, Arlott-John was only denied by a vital block from Sassi, at the cost of a corner (52 mins).

Next, Malone replaced Walsh (57 mins) and this was shortly before Alty's best chance of the half came but Bsnks lifted his effort over the bar (58 mins).

Altrincham were enjoying the lion's share of the ball but the breakthrough was proving elusive as the game passed the hour mark, after which point Newton was booked (65 mins).

Alty's shooting continued to prove wayward as, once again, Knowles shot wide (66 mins).

After Jimmy Knowles had been cautioned (68 mins), Hickey replaced Arlott-John (72 mins), the winger having suffered from cramp. His departure will have been an unexpected bonus to Altrincham

Alty's pressure produced three corners in as many minutes, none of which proved effective, before Golden's good effort did force a fine save from Taylor (78 mins).

Next, Luis Rose replaced Danny Newton before Alty's loanee, Jack Hinchy came on for Isaac Marriott (84 mins)>

For their part Harborough's James Taylor replaced Elliot Putman (85 mins) before Reddin won a corner which, yet again, came to naught.

The changes continued as Sam Reed replaced James Gale (88 mins).

Seven added minutes were proclained with Harborough winning an early freekick in the additional period, awarded against Barnes, but from thirty yards the freekick was blocked.

Reed then went close for Alty but the numerically challenged hosts continued to hold out (90+5 mins).

In fact, it was Harborough who threatened as the second-half ended but the game remained deadlocked at 0-0, so extra time was required.

Altrincham continued to dominate possession against a tiring ten-man opposition and it took another fine save by keeper Taylor to deny Banks, as he tipped the Alty defender's effort over the bar for a corner (96 mins).

Altrincham finally made the breakthrough eight minutes into added time and, not surprisingly, it was Reddin who was the instigator. He advanced into the right of the box and fed the ball, low, towards the centre of the goalmouth where Knowles redirected it, with less force than he possibly intended, into the bottom corner of the net to Taylor's right.

Home boss Mitch Austin responded by bringing on Changunda to replace the burly Liam Dolman (98 mins) and he also brought on Stephens for ex-Brackley defender Carline (90+9 mins).

Harborough's resistance had been broken and Alty threatened to add a second goal through two late corners (99 and 105 mins).

But half-time of added time left the score at just 0-1 to Altrincham.

However, it took less than two minutes after the resumption for Reed to exchange passes with Banks on the left before the substitute left-back's low cross-cum-shot found its way into the net (107 mins).

Nevertheless, Harborough showed commendable spirit and won two corners (109 mins).

But Altrincham then countered and found Knowles in acres of space some 40 yards from goal out on the right. He advannced towards goal, drifting leftwards, before rounding Taylor and clipping the ball into the empty net from an acute angle, left of goal. So it was 0-3 and all over for Harborough (110 mins).

Alty now brought on Waters (12 mins) and for the first time in his three appearances he got to the end of the match without an almost immediate booking. Indeed it was he who had the last meaningful shot but his effort went wide (119 mins).

Altrincham had made hard work of overcoming the ten men and will need to sharpen up both to progress in this competition and to elevate themselves from their precarious league position.