JOHN Coventry says his East Thurrock United side will be coming up against the best team he has watched this season when St Albans City visit Essex tonight in the National League South.

Rocks lost their first match of the campaign on Saturday, going down 2-1 to Truro City - who played with 10 men for 65 minutes.

St Albans also suffered something of a setback when they drew 1-1 with bottom club Whitehawk.

But Coventry says this will be another stern examination for his players.

“It should be a good game,” he said. “I watched them at Chelmsford and they are the best team I have seen play this season.

“This is our second home game of the week, and we have Harlow to come on Saturday in the FA Cup. It didn’t get off to the best start, so we are looking to change that.”

Coventry had no qualms with Rocks’ defeat on Saturday, with a last minute penalty condemning them to a first setback of term.

The East Thurrock manager said Rocks got into the final third 44 times on Saturday without testing the opposition goalkeeper.

And he said that wasn’t good enough.

“We deserved to lose,” he accepted. “They started the better and a goalkeeping howler gives them the lead.

“Then they went down to 10 men and that was the worst thing that could have happened, although maybe I didn’t think that at the time.

“They had a lead to protect at that time and had started with five across the back anyway.

“We had the ball and territory but couldn’t break them down.

“But we are still in a good place and we need to do what we were doing well before Saturday’s match - with more urgency and tempo.”