ALTRINCHAM Football Club have landed a plum FA Cup second-round tie at Portsmouth, as a reward for a magnificent 1-0 victory at National League North leaders, York City, in Sunday’s first-round game.

The Robins fully deserved to make progress in what turned out to be the last ever FA Cup tie at York’s iconic Bootham Crescent ground.

The only goal of the game came in the 82nd minute. Jake Moult’s magnificent long, looping diagonal ball from inside his own half was perfectly measured for substitute Jordan Hulme, who picked out Tom Peers just inside the area and the in-form striker lashed a superb left-foot strike high into the corner of Peter Jameson’s net to send almost 400 travelling Alty fans into FA Cup dreamland.

Assistant manager, Neil Sorvel, was delighted with the finish and said: “We have been encouraging both Tom and Jordan to use their left foot more when in on goal and Tom has done that really well with his strike to give us our just rewards.”

The Robins’ prospects did not look too rosy, early in the second half when keeper Tony Thompson was penalised for clipping Dan Maguire’s heel, with his right hand, close to the byline, but the Alty stopper heroically saved Andy Bond’s spot-kick, before watching the former AFC Fylde midfielder fire the rebound against the bar.

Then, Andy White cleared off the line from Kieran Green in a frantic few seconds of goalmouth drama.

Remarkably, Monday night’s televised draw gave Alty their fifth successive away tie in this FA Cup campaign.

Portsmouth are a huge football club, who were FA Cup winners as recently as 2008 and the game, which will be played between November 30-December 2, should provide a big boost financially for Alty, as it will draw one of the largest crowds in the second round.

Meanwhile, the FA Trophy third round qualifying draw was also made on Monday and rather bizarrely handed the Robins another trip to York on Saturday, November 23.