Kingstonian assistant Graham Harper knows the FA Cup challenge his side faces on Saturday – because he has been there himself.

Ks travel to Essex to take on Ryman Division One North side Romford on Saturday in the second qualifying round.

Harper reached the FA Cup first round proper as a player with Hampton & Richmond Borough and finished on the losing side at the hands of Dagenham & Redbridge.

Hampton pushed the League Two Daggers all the way before eventually succumbing 2-0 at the Beveree in 2007, and Harper has warned Romford will be doing all they can to force an upset.

“We had the better of Dagenham for 70 minutes and could have actually won the game, but they had that bit extra,” he said.

“Romford will do everything to cause an upset like we tried against Dagenham.

“They will see it as a chance to cause a shock. I remember being on that side of things with Hampton and it is not nice.”

If Ks avoid the banana skin they will have collected £7,500 from the FA Cup prize fund this term and will stand two wins from the first round and a possible £27,500 bounty.

But Harper, who saw Saturday’s trip to Witham Town surprisingly postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, is mindful of the impact it may have on the club’s fixture list.

“This game is massive for us. A cup run is a real money spinner and brings a buzz around the place with the added attention it gets,” he added.

“We have to take it one game at a time.

“If we get on a run we are going to be playing catch up. We are already three games behind other teams in the league. That can put a strain on our small squad.”

* Striker Andre McCoillin continued his hot streak as Kingstonian moved up to ninth in the Ryman Premier League table on Wednesday.

McCollin struck his seventh goal in six league and cup encounters to help Ks on their way to a 2-1 win at Peachaven and Telscombe.

The former Yeovil Town man put boss Tommy Williams’ men in front, but they needed a Sam Page strike from close range to secure three points after the hosts had levelled matters.