DANNY Cowley believes tonight’s FA Trophy replay between Concord Rangers and Barnet will be a very different encounter to last year’s face-off at the Hive Stadium.

The two sides met in the final qualifying round of the FA Cup last October, with the Bees cruising to a 3-0 success.

But, after watching the Beach Boys go toe-to-toe with the Conference Premier leaders in Saturday’s 0-0 draw, Cowley says his team look more than capable of moving into the FA Trophy Second Round for the first time.

Although he says it is likely to be tougher than games against Football League sides Mansfield Town and Colchester United already this term.

“It will probably be our toughest game of the season so far,” said the Beach Boys manager.

“Barnet are a side very high on confidence, but so are we and it will be a very different game to last year. Barnet are certainly a better team than they were a year ago and I believe we are as well.

“We competed with them for 30 minutes last season but then we got a bit too confident and committed too many players forward and they caught us.

“But we know what we have to do. No one gets an easy game against us and beating Colchester United (in the Essex Senior Cup) and taking Mansfield Town (in the FA Cup) so close shows that. We take confidence from that.

“It means another game for us but successful teams will always be involved in big games,” he went on. “The players thrive in this environment.”

Cowley was full of praise for Barnet boss and former West Ham United and Southend United midfielder Martin Allen.

In his first full season, albeit in his fourth spell as the club’s manager, he has taken Barnet into the Christmas period with a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

“Martin Allen is a very experienced manager and he has done a terrific job at Barnet,” said Cowley. “He has built them up a great deal and he deserves so much credit.

“We look forward to tonight.”