ALFRETON Town manager Nicky Law believes his squad should have a 'better level of player' than Bury Town in Saturday's FA Cup first round clash. The Derbyshire side will be looking to make it to the second round of the famous competition for the first time in their history having failed to get past the first round on three previous occasions.

Stuart Watson

ALFRETON Town manager Nicky Law believes his squad should have a 'better level of player' than Bury Town in Saturday's FA Cup first round clash.

The Derbyshire side will be looking to make it to the second round of the famous competition for the first time in their history having failed to get past the first round on three previous occasions.

And 47-year-old Law - who is used to working with higher level players having played at eight Football League clubs and managed Chesterfield and Bradford - is hoping the two divisions which separate the two sides on Saturday will shine through.

Law has had Bury Town watched twice in the build up to this game and, although he was complimentary towards Richard Wilkins' side, there was underlying feeling of confidence ahead of the game.

He said: “It is obviously a big day for us but it is every bit as big a day for them as well.

“They are a team with a good balance of youth and experience. They have got some good young individuals, they work hard, they have good organisation and they will be tough opponents.

“(But), you would like to think maybe that we have got more experience with a lot of players in our ranks who have been in this situation before with other clubs.

“And the fact that the level we are playing at, we should have a more experienced, better level of player.

“A lot of our players have played in pressure games before and at the end of the day that is what this is, a pressure game.

“It is a big stage for the winners.

“But they have knocked out some very good sides on their run to get here and we are not taking them lightly by any stretch of the imagination.”

Alfreton - who will host Saturday's tie in their 1,600 seater Impact Arena - can count themselves unfortunate never to have got past the first round of the FA Cup having lost out in replays on the three previous occasions they have reached this stage.

The first time was back in 1969/70 when they eventually bowed out after three replays against Barrow, the second was in the 1973/74 season against Blyth Spartans with the third occasion just four years ago against Macclesfield Town.

Alfreton have already beaten two teams that play two divisions below them so far in their FA Cup run, however, their victories over Unibond League Division One South sides Retford United (3-1) and Shepshed Dynamo (2-1) both proved far from routine.

The Blue Square North side, who are currently 12th in the table, received a boost this week with the return of three players.

Defender Paul Ellender came through his first 90 minutes after two months out with a knee injury, while Tom Curtis and Kris Bowler served out their respective one and two match suspensions.

Aside from Matt Wilson who is both injured and suspended, Law only has the cup-tied Liam Hearn unavailable.