THERE is no chance of League One outfit Crewe Alexandra underestimating Eastleigh in the FA Cup first round on Saturday.

In fact, listening to Alex box Steve Davis, you could be forgiven for thinking it is Crewe and not Eastleigh who are the non-League side looking to cause an upset at Gresty Road.

“Eastleigh are a very experienced side with Football League experience right the way from the front to the back,” he said.

“They’ve got players who have moved on for big money in the past and have played at a higher level than us.

“They’re doing well in the league and have picked up some good results with their new manager (Chris Todd).

“We’ve got some clips of them and have three reports on them, so we’ve done our homework and shown them respect, as we do every club.

“We will have to match their work ethic and endeavour if we are going to impose our passing game on them,” he added.

“They have some big, powerful lads and we will have to stand up to that and make sure we stay solid like we managed against Sheffield United last week.”

That Sheffield result - a 1-0 win at Gresty Road – was a real turn-up for the books. Remarkably, it was rock-bottom Crewe’s first triumph on home soil in 238 days.

Davis switched to a 4-4-2 formation, partnering a big man and little man up front, in Marcus Haber and Callum Saunders, flanked by creative duo Ryan Colclough and Brad Inman.

It was Colclough who blunted the Blades’ ambitions with a 71st-minute winner, ending the Alex's drought of almost five hours of football without a goal.

“The players put together two really good halves against Sheffield United and produced a performance of high quality and we have to look to do the same again,” said Davis.

“There will be no one here underestimating Eastleigh, that’s for sure.

“As a club we want to be doing better in the FA Cup. It is a chance for the players to impress and get some exposure. We want to be making the headlines for the right reasons on Saturday.”

Crewe are still without their injured captain, manager’s son Harry Davis (knee), and vice-captain David Fox (cracked vertebrates), but three of their four loan players – Swansea duo Adam King and Stephen Kingsley and Burnley goalkeeper Danijel Nizic – have the green light for the Cup. Young Liverpool and Wales striker Harry Wilson cannot feature, however.

Playmaker Billy Bingham is fit to return after hamstring trouble.