ST Albans City host Lowestoft Town in the FA Cup third round qualifying at Clarence Park on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

City will be looking to maintain their cup run in front of their home crowd, especially after they were knocked out of the FA Trophy last weekend following the 2-1 home defeat by Arlesey Town.

Ahead of the visit of the Suffolk side, who are fourth in the Ryman League Premier Division, City boss David Howell said: “It’s a big game.”

He is looking for his troops to rediscover the form that saw them win five games in a row ahead of the Trophy exit.

Of that disappointment he said: “The team know they underperformed and if they look at themselves individually they hadn’t done what they had been doing for the past few weeks.

“But over a season you’re not going to be happy with every game and it’s just a matter of how we look to bounce back when things don’t go our way.”

So far in the FA Cup, the Saints beat Howell’s former side Harrow Borough 3-1 and Ashford Town (Middx) 6-2.

City winger Sean Shields bagged a first-half hat-trick in the Ashford match which saw him nominated for the Budweiser Player of the Round award.

He failed to win the accolade which went to FC United’s Nicky Platt who hit a treble in his side’s 3-2 derby victory over Salford City.