RAMSBOTTOM United manager Derek Egan can't wait for Saturday and the visit of Southport to the Riverside for this eagerly anticipated FA Cup Second Qualifying Round game.

"They'll come and want to stay nice and tight for the first 20 minutes and not give anything away," he said.

"They'll maybe not be as adventurous as they would have been had we not been on such a good run.

"They are a little bit wary of meeting us at the moment, but they are three leagues above us (the Sandgrounders are currently sixth in Conference North with 20 points) and so the pressure is on them, they know it and we know it."

However, Egan has a couple of selection problems on his hands.

Striker Ewan Purcell limped out of Tuesday night's win with a recurrence of the knee injury that kept him out for three weeks recently.

Injured in the same game was tigerish midfielder Adam Kozlowski, who is struggling with a recurring ankle problem, and striker Mickey Saunders is banned.

Two players who will be available are strikers Lee Buggie and new signing Danny Stubberfield, although Buggie won't get back from holiday until the early hours, and Stubberfield was only signed this week.

"We'll have to see how Lee is," said Egan: "If needs be we may start him and see how he goes, or I may put him on as a sub later on.

"Danny's a player who will complement the strikers we already have. I've been interested in him for a while, but I would not approach him because he was with another club and I don't operate that way.

"But once I heard he had decided to leave Padiham I had a chat with him and he changed his mind about going to Great Harwood Town and decided to join us instead.

"I know him from the LFA programme, he's a very technically gifted player who can turn and beat players with ease, and he's more a goal-maker than goal-taker, although his scoring rate is very impressive."

"And I know he didn't join Ramsbottom for the money because it was not until Thursday that it was mentioned, even then it was me saying to him that we should discuss it.

"But none of the lads are here because of the money. They are here because they enjoy the brand of football we are playing and they are enjoying the environment and team spirit that has been built."

As for other teams coveting his players, he has heard nothing yet.

"So far none of them have had a seven day notice put on them," he said.

"I doubt any of them would move if there was, and I can't think of any of them that would move to a team in a higher league purely for the money, but that's not to say it won't happen."

The clash gives the Rams a chance for a spot of revenge. Their best ever FA Cup run was halted by Southport in 1998 when they won 5-0 at the Riverside in a Third Qualifying Round tie.