ROOKS EXPECT TOUGH ENCOUNTER

The Sussex Express spoke to Rooks' manager Steve King in the run-up to Saturday's league game at St Albans and the crucial FA Cup qualifying third round game against Dulwich Hamlet at the Pan on October 8.

Speaking about St Albans, Steve said: 'You can expect a tough encounter with one of the in-form teams who haven't lost a match for six games now. Of course their run all started when I lent them Djoumin Sangare.'

'St Albans seem to have plenty of momentum at the moment and have the league's top scorer in Lee Clark.

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'They work exceptionally hard as a team and have now got one of the best squads in the league.'

Steve continued: 'Like a few managers in the Premiership I'd rather get a 1-0 win with realistic tactics than go all out to entertain and come away with nothing.

'At Leyton the win was the overriding thing and we secured it.

'Our centre halves were outstanding and keeper Paul Wilkerson had an excellent game.'

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Asked about the Dulwich Hamlet tie, Steve was similarly upbeat but mindful of the nature of cup football.

'Obviously I know Dulwich extremely well from my time in management there.

'You don't take any cup game lightly. It's a one-off encounter which will be like a cup final day for them as underdogs.

'Coming from a lower level means nothing and underdogs are winning plenty of matches at the moment in all classes of football. But saying this I think that on our day we could beat any team from our own league or even Conference National.'