ALEX Cowley could be the ace in the Stourport Swifts pack, according to boss Rod Brown.

Brown believes the 20-year-old wing-back may one day return to the Football League after being a trainee at West Bromwich Albion.

Cowley will be one of the key players as Swifts look to progress past the FA Cup preliminary round on Saturday.

Dr Martens Eastern Division Rugby United visit Walshes Meadow and Brown hopes to select from a full squad.

Brown said: "It would be nice to have a run in the cups as we know the league will be a hard slog for us.

"Rugby haven't started particularly well but they haven't conceded many goals.

"Alex is key to any game we play. He's matured as a player and I think he could be a big non-league player for the future who eventually could break back into the league.

"West Brom didn't release him because of his ability but because they needed to reduce the squad and he hadn't matured enough.

"He always looking to do tricks on the ball. Now he uses less tricks but still has them in his repertoire."

The FA Cup offers better cash rewards this season which could be vital to a club on a relatively low budget like Swifts.

Brown explained: "There's a lot of money involved and a lot of cash from sponsorship.

"It's not particularly high for the winners of this round, £1,000, but the next round is £7,500 and it could be good revenue for the club."

After winning their first two games, Swifts lost 2-0 at Clevedon but shipped a late goal in Monday's 3-2 loss to Evesham watched by over 200 fans.

Brown admitted: "The boys must learn from the games and believe in themselves more.

"In the second half against Evesham, you would have thought we were the team pushing for promotion."

But the Swifts manager sees Solihull and Clevedon as the early teams to beat as he strives for consistency from his side.

He added: "We haven't played Solihull yet, that's just from looking at their results.

"Clevedon were impressive against us and I think the surprise package could be Atherstone.

"If we play like we did in that second half against Evesham then we won't lose many games.

"But the problem is getting that level of consistency and get ourselves into the game earlier.

"We always play better when the grounds are heavier as we have players who relish a battle and have a lot of physical presence. So it could be seven or eight games before we're at our best."