HUGHIE Doyle expects to have his old buddy John Robson sitting alongside him on the Alton Town bench tomorrow when the mid-Hampshire club host holders Winchester City in the FA Vase second round.

Although former Alton, Totton, Bashley and Winchester boss Robson is widely rumoured to be on the shortlist for Fleet Town's managerial vacancy, his former assistant Doyle clarified: "John is helping out a number of clubs with a bit of coaching and scouting at the moment, one of which is Alton. He'll be with me for the game tomorrow."

Despite some changes in playing personnel, City are as feared now as they were when they lifted the Vase at Birmingham City's St Andrews ground in May after a 2-0 win against AFC Sudbury.

But although Doyle freely admits "we're not in the same category as Winchester," his team are fully fired up for what is easily the biggest game in his first season at the Alton helm.

Doyle said: "I'm not going to talk about the money aspect. Winchester and their manager Neil Hards deserve every success that comes their way.

"I know Neil well from the Portsmouth area. He coached Newport IoW while I was coaching at Gosport. I'm also friends with Winchester's coach Steve Moss, who played for John Robson as a 16-year-old at Worthing."

While Alton have already put paid to Andover New Street and Oakwood, Winchester are just beginning their defence of the trophy.

On paper, the all-Wessex battle should be a one-sided affair, but City have been rocked by news of director of football David Malone's resignation and are facing an injury and illness crisis which could deprive them of up to nine first-team regulars.

Mark Smith, Ian Mancey, Jamie Musselwhite and Shaun Dyke have all been laid low by a flu bug, while question marks hover over Mark Blake (knee ligaments), Lloyd Webber (facial injury), Kieron Hall (concussion) and Adam Rogers (twisted ankle).

Add suspended midfielder Gary Green to the equation and it's easy to see why Hards will take nothing for granted in front of an expected 200-250 crowd at Anstey Road.

He predicted: "Saturday's not going to be easy. Mossy (Steve Moss) went to watch Alton last Saturday and they're really fired up for it.

"People think we just have to turn up to win, but we're taking the opposition very seriously. They're champing at the bit to have a go at us and it'll be a really tough game."

In goalscoring skipper John Edwards and RAF man Mike Douglas, Alton have two players who love to drive forward from midfield, leaving player/assistant manager Clive Ventham in the holding role. And though their strikeforce can't rival Winchester's 50-plus goal trio of Musselwhite, Mancey and Jamie Laidlaw, former Gosport and Totton man Steve Poulton is always a threat.

"We may not score at the same rate as the Winchester boys, but I've got ideas of how to trouble them. We're certainly not going to sit back and let them come at us," pledged Doyle.

"They beat us 4-0 in the league at their place and deserved to win, but we made them work for it. If can get our best eleven out we'll certainly compete.

"Our position (18th) may not suggest it, but our performances tell me we're progressing. I'm aiming to stabilise the club and carry on the good work Dave Hawtin did as manager."

Winchester's squad may again feature two talented youngsters who have graduated from the reserves - centre-half Jamie Austin and Southampton-based striker Jaswinder Chahal, who scored twice in the 10-0 SWL annihilation of Hamble ASSC.