PAUL Cox wants his Barrow AFC side to embrace the FA Cup challenge on their doorstep at Bristol Rovers tomorrow.

The Bluebirds have made it to the second round of the competition for the first time since 2012 and face their first Football League opponents since a 2-1 first-round home defeat to Rotherham a year before that.

A huge test awaits AFC at the Memorial Stadium against a League One team with hopes of a third successive promotion (2pm kick-off).

But Cox is grasping the opportunity to show what the team can do with both hands, and is hopeful the supporters will do the same.

“It's an exciting fixture, one we can embrace and enjoy,” he said. “I think our FA Cup starts now – there is no pressure on us at all.

“We're going to do our due diligence and we are going to try and work hard to get a result.

“In terms of playing with a little bit more freedom, the pressure is totally off us now. I hope everybody at the football club embraces the game, I hope the supporters come down in their numbers, and I hope we can do ourselves proud.”

Cox knows Bristol are a team with huge potential, in an area with a large population and no Premier League sides.

He also recognises the talent in the Gas squad, but again emphasised the importance of his own side going out an enjoying themselves.

“I've come up against (Bristol Rovers striker Matty) Taylor a few times. They've got a squad full of great players,” Cox said.

“It is a potentially massive football club in a fantastic catchment area. At this stage, it's a massive club we are coming up against.

“We want to enjoy it, we want to embrace it now. Our FA Cup starts now – that doesn't mean in any way we won't do due diligence or we won't try and work hard to try and cause an upset.”

Any upset on Barrow's part would go down as another bad day for the Pirates at the hands of Cox.

He was in charge of the Mansfield Town side who sent Rovers down to the National League 2014, when victory for the Stags, combined with a Wycombe Wanderers win over Torquay, sealed relegation.

“It was one of those games,” Cox said. “I've known Clarky (Rovers boss Darrell Clarke) for a long time. We went there and it was a football match – I will never change my views, whether it is the first game of the season or the last – where we put in a strong performance and won the game 1-0.

“Unfortunately for Bristol Rovers, the Wycombe result went against them, Wycombe stayed up and they were relegated.

“The club has done immensely well, not just to bounce back from the Conference, but to get back-to-back promotions and to find themselves in a play-off position in League One.

“We're under no illusions as to how tough the game will be. If we are positive, we're relaxed, and we work hard, then this is the FA Cup and anything can happen."

Barrow will have goalkeeper Tim Erlandsson available tomorrow, as his loan deal from Nottingham Forest allows him to feature in the FA Cup.

Fellow Forest loanee Ryan Yates has already featured in the competition for the Bluebirds – playing a major part in the winning goal against Taunton in the last round.

Midfielder Paul Turnbull is close to a return from a calf injury – and was set to feature in some capacity in the postponed National League game at Macclesfield Town on Tuesday – so could be among the substitutes.