JOHN Coventry has warned his East Thurrock United players to up their game when they head to Peterborough Sports for their FA Cup first qualifying round replay tonight.

The initial tie finished 1-1 at Rookery Hill as Lewis Smith’s first half opener for Rocks was cancelled out by Paul Malone’s close range header.

And, with a second qualifying round trip to Bishop’s Stortford the reward for the winners, Coventry insists his side must improve if they are to triumph.

The East Thurrock chief said: “There were no positives to come from the initial tie.

“We played well in the first half but then we were awful in the second half.

“If we can replicate our first half performance and continue it for the whole 90 minutes, I will be quite happy with that and confident that we will go through.

“That performance would give us a really good chance of going into the second qualifying round.

“But the second half wasn’t good enough and if we play like that again we don’t deserve to go through.

“The players know it wasn’t up to the standards we have set at the club, so they have to stand up and be counted.”

Coventry will visit Peterborough’s Lincoln Road home for the second time in seven days having seen the Southern Premier Central side lose 3-1 to Banbury United.

And Coventry was not surprised by how Peterborough performed.

“Their performance was a carbon copy of what I had seen in midweek and the report I had been given,” added Coventry.

“We have quality but we also have injury problems, which means I have numerous first team players on the sidelines.

“It’s frustrating and if you give players confidence by playing badly, you let them into the game.

“That’s what we did in the second half, but we need to be competitive for the 90 minutes.”