Andover face their toughest game of the year on Tuesday night as they travel to Aldershot in the away leg of the Hants Senior Cup semi-final.

And Lions manager Howard Goddard, a former Shots striker, is well aware of the calibre of the opposition his team will face at the Recreation Ground.

He told the Advertiser: "We've been looking at Aldershot this week, and I'll give them a lot of respect. But it's no good going there and putting nine men behind the ball - that'll just invite them to come and attack.

"We've got to play our natural game, and we've got to give ourselves a chance for the second leg at home. If we can do that, we don't fear anyone at home, and it'll be anyone's match."

The Shots are on the verge of Nationwide Conference football this year, and are attracting four-figure crowds with their exciting attacking football. But Goddard is happy to see his re-formed old club doing so well, and believes the Lions could be playing them at just the right time. He said: "They'll have one eye on the conference, so if we give a good account of ourselves, we can hopefully catch them on a good night for us."

Andover's players, many of whom will not have played on a bigger stage before in their careers, know the size of their task - but they also know Andover dumped Basingstoke out of this competition in the last round with a brilliant performance at the Portway.

The prize for both sides is a final at St Mary's in Southampton on May 8 - but there is the small matter of Tuesday's game, and the return leg on 25 March, before they can dream of that.

Goddard said: "I don't care who they are, we'll give any team a real game at the Portway."