Reaching the first round of the FA Cup for the second time in three seasons, seventh-tier Alvechurch travel to League One Plymouth Argyle hoping to continue their journey in football's oldest cup competition.

The Pilgrims head into Saturday's clash after a goalless draw with Reading last weekend that kept them in the top five, while the Church have already played five matches to reach this stage, most recently beating Spalding United 4-0 in a replay.

Match preview

Plymouth Argyle will be hoping to avoid a cup upset on Saturday afternoon when they welcome their Midlands opponents to Home Park.

Tom Cleverley's side, who were knocked out in the first round of the FA Cup last season, head into the weekend in good form, having lost just two of their last seven outings in all competitions.

Since suffering back-to-back league defeats against Huddersfield Town and Stevenage, the Pilgrims have responded with a narrow victory over Cambridge United before sharing the points with Reading in a goalless draw.

After 14 League One matches, Plymouth have collected 23 points and sit comfortably in the playoff places, six points behind the league leaders as they look to mount a serious push for promotion back to the Championship.

The Devon outfit failed to progress beyond the opening round last season but enjoyed runs to the fourth and fifth rounds in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, where they were eventually eliminated by Leeds United and Manchester City respectively.

Looking to reach the second round of the FA Cup for the second time in three years, Alvechurch make the journey south hoping some cup magic can help them produce one of the shocks of the season.

The Worcestershire-based side, who compete in the Southern League Premier Division Central, know they face a significant challenge against opponents four tiers above them, but arrive at Home Park in good form.

Led by former Wrexham and Cheltenham Town midfielder Kyle Storer, the Church are currently enjoying an unbeaten run of six matches in all competitions, including an impressive 3-1 away win against Leiston on Halloween and a 4-0 victory over Spalding in their FA Cup replay.

During that run, Storer's side have kept just one clean sheet but found the net 16 times, and will be hoping to showcase their attacking threat against League One opposition this weekend.

So far in this season's FA Cup, Alvechurch have overcome Wolverhampton City, Warwick, Cambridge and Spalding, with the latter requiring a replay after a 2-2 draw in the initial meeting.

As mentioned, the Church have previous experience of causing a cup upset, having beaten League One Cheltenham Town 2-1 away from home in the first round in November 2022, before reaching the second round and falling to Forest Green Rovers. 

Plymouth Argyle form (all competitions):

Alvechurch FA Cup form:

Alvechurch form (all competitions):

Team News

Ahead of a clash against opponents from several divisions below, Cleverley is likely to name a much-changed lineup and could stick with a similar XI to the one used in the EFL Trophy this season.

Murphy Cooper has been Plymouth's first-choice goalkeeper this season but withdrew from their match against Reading the day before the game due to a family issue.

James Storer came in for his league debut and impressed, meaning he could retain his place between the sticks for this one.

Teenager Sep Campbell, the club's youngest-ever goalscorer, has not featured for Plymouth since an EFL Trophy victory over Newport County but could return to the attack on Saturday.

As for the visitors, they reported no fresh injury concerns following their most recent outing and could name a similar starting XI to the one that secured their place in the next round a few weeks ago.

Miracle Okafor, who scored a brace in their 4-0 victory over Spalding, is likely to lead the line for Storer's men alongside Danny Newton.

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Storer; Ross, Mitchell, Rendle; Edwards, Bakinson, White, MacKenzie; Amaechi, Campbell, Evans

Alvechurch possible starting lineup:

Evans; Rask; Forsyth, Crowther, Ngandu, Sullivan; Reilly, Osborne, Stephens; Okafor, Newton

We say: Plymouth Argyle 4-1 Alvechurch

There is an obvious gulf in quality between these sides, and while Alvechurch have already shown they can trouble Football League opposition in the FA Cup, Plymouth should have enough to avoid an upset.

We expect the Pilgrims to progress comfortably into the next round with a 4-1 victory over the Church.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.