Notts County progress at Moss Lane as FA Cup first-round tie is played in dense fog

Notts County beat Altrincham at the Moss Lane ground in an FA Cup first-round tie on Saturday that was played in dense fog and was settled by a penalty shootout after extra time.

"One of the more challenging of my long career, that's about 35 years now," said BBC Sport commentator Steve Bower about the visibility while the game was being televised live on BBC Two.

Bower said a colleague reminded him of a similar fog issue three years earlier: "I was reminded by a colleague - maybe I'm a jinx - that we had a similar thing on the BBC about three years ago when we did York against Wigan in the first round and the fog came in." He added: "Tonight was worse. From where we were, opposite the dugouts, once the play went to the centre circle and beyond, we couldn't see a thing. We couldn't see which team had the ball, let alone which player had the ball after about the 60th minute. Bearing in mind it went to extra-time, it was challenging."

Altrincham held a 2-1 lead during the match before Callum Roberts scored a late equaliser for Notts County, forcing extra time, after which the visitors prevailed on penalties. Bower said: "The frustrating thing is that for an hour it was a really good FA Cup tie, it had everything. It was on for another giant-killing script but then the frustrating thing is that it becomes a non-event because, without stating the obvious, people can't see half of it."

BBC Radio Nottingham's Adam Hassell reported similar problems, saying: "I can just about see the bright white numbers on their shirts, but I am struggling to see what is happening on the far side of the pitch." Former Notts County striker Mark Stallard, also on BBC Radio Nottingham, said: "We're looking around, and here in the press box no-one knows where the ball is! It's like a spot-the-ball competition." Stallard added: "I played in the Notts County cup side against Wimbledon when it was abandoned - they equalised in the second half and I didn't see any of it!" and later: "We genuinely cannot see the linesman or the players on the far side. It's slightly farcical having to commentate for radio listeners."

Bower relayed the managers' difficulties with tactics in the fog, quoting Notts County boss: "[Notts County boss] Martin Paterson said credit to Altrincham, they were the better team in the first half and, as for the second, I couldn't see it. He was laughing." He said Altrincham manager Neil Gibson had tried to assess changes from pitchside: "We were trying to get down to pitchside to look tactically at what they had done after those four substitutions. Have they changed shape? Is it a back four? Have they gone to a box midfield? But we just couldn't see'." Bower also said: "So even from a tactical point of view, the players had to stop playing long diagonal passes and things like that because they couldn't see, they were just having to play short five, 10 yard passes so the game changed in that sense as well. It was very, very close to getting called off."

On the penalties, Bower described reliance on replays and crowd reaction: "Even on the penalties, you were having to rely on the crowd's reaction before committing to the tale. You couldn't see the goalkeeper's save, for instance, until the first replay came in." He added that Notts County supporters at the far end "couldn't have seen anything" and that "Obviously, the Altrincham fans all had their phones on with the lights trying to put the Notts County players off as well in the fog. A unique evening all around."

Notts County advance in the FA Cup after winning the shootout; Bower said: "It will live long in the memory, that's for sure."