When Plymouth Argyle beat Mansfield Town 2-0 at Home Park on Saturday August 20, the Pilgrims were 11th and upwardly mobile in League Two. Adam Murray’s Stags were seventh and going in the opposite direction, writes Ross Reid.

Derek Adams’ Argyle now top the table (by four points) and Mansfield occupy 13th place in mid-table, some 16 points behind their Saturday FA Cup first round visitors.

But as we all know points count for nothing in the FA Cup.

Adams will be doing his utmost to convince his players this is a whole new ball game, because it’s the Cup, and that another win maintains Argyle’s magnificent momentum.

Forget last month’s 2-1 EFL Trophy defeat at AFC Wimbledon: despite what anyone says that competition was nothing more than an unwanted distraction for the promotion-chasing Pilgrims.

The FA Cup is different. The FA Cup is the domestic knockout competition that all lower league and non-League football clubs get excited about, with good reason.

A money-spinning lucrative home third round tie against a Premier League side can aid a promotion push. Revenue cannot be easily dismissed. It’s crucially important to a club like Argyle and – aside from giant-killing possibilities – remains one of the major plusses of a healthy FA Cup run.

Argyle’s league record is safe for another week but in the meantime – as ever – there’s everything to play for in the FA Cup.