HARROGATE Town manager Neil Aspin found himself in the middle of an argument on Wednesday night about the last time the Wetherby Roaders appeared in the first round proper of the FA Cup.

The sticking point was the number of goals. He could have sworn it was six. The reality was it probably just felt that many in a 5-1 demolition at Farnborough Town.

Aspin, who came on at half-time when all the scoring had been done, is the sole survivor of that day in 2002, and he is determined to make the most of the memory to avoid a repeat.

"My recollections are that we had done a lot of hard work in getting to that stage and in the build-up - and it was all destroyed in 45 minutes," he said.

"All of a sudden it was like 'let's just get it over with so we can get on the bus and go home' - it was such a disaster.

"I am conscious of the fact that we don't want all that hard work to go down the drain at Torquay.

"The key to the game is the first 20 minutes. We need to be compact and keep them out. Last time we conceded three or four in the first 20 minutes and it was just a question of how many are they going to score."

If Harrogate can keep Torquay out then there's nothing standing in their way of recording a second giant-killing having knocked out Scarborough in the fourth qualifier. And on paper there are only 27 league places separating the two sides in the football pyramid with Town fifth in Conference North and the Gulls languishing at the bottom of League Two.

But despite Torquay's miserable form - they've won just one in the last six - and backroom turbulence, boss Leroy Rosenior having transfer-listed six players this week, Aspin knows they will beseeing this as crucial respite.

He said: "I think they will see it as a good opportunity to progress playing against Harrogate Town, without being disrespectful to us.

"They will probably know we have only won one away game all season and they also know that if they get past us they are only one game away from the third round and the chance of getting a really big club, which could turn their season around."

Late fitness checks will be carried out on Gareth Grant, Chris Ellerker and goalkeeper Michael Price. Fiery attacking right-back Tony Lennon trained on Wednesday and will be back in the frame after missing last week's defeat of Hinckley United, but Anton Lally and Ben Jones are both cup-tied.

One player definitely up for the cup will be top scorer Danny Holland, who hit double figures for the season against Hinckley United, but has yet to score in the cup, while strike partner Marc Smith will be aiming to continue his goal-a-round ratio.

Said Aspin: "All I ask of my players is that they give me 100 per cent - I don't ask for anything else.

"In order to win a cup tie you need to have at least ten of your 11 players playing really well and you need the opposition to have a bit of an off day. You also need to have a bit of luck but then this is the FA Cup. There are always shocks and you have to hope that this time it's going to be you that is involved."

Updated: 11:26 Friday, November 04, 2005