GRAHAM Westley believes it’s a good time to face Plymouth Argyle with their League Two rivals on a three-game losing streak and without several key players.

Westley’s Newport County AFC side take on Argyle at Home Park tomorrow afternoon with a place in the third round of the FA Cup at stake.

And the Exiles boss is delighted to be playing the Pilgrims after they’ve slipped off the top of the League Two table.

As well as being supplanted as leaders by Carlisle United, Plymouth boss Derek Adams could also be without up to seven players tomorrow.

Striker Jordan Slew is banned for one game and defenders Nauris Bulvitis and Ben Purrington are both doubts because of hamstring injuries, while Ryan Brunt, David Ijaha, Gary Sawyer and Jimmy Spencer are definitely out.

“It’s a good moment to go there because their results have dipped and they’re without Spencer and Slew so they’ve got their own difficulties right now,” said Westley.

“So, in terms of moments, if you’re going to go to the former league leaders a time when they’ve lost key players and their form has dipped is the right time to go there.

“But it’s the FA Cup so league form goes out of the window.

“Everything goes out of the window when it comes to the FA Cup.

“Form doesn’t matter, what matters is the effort and the passion and the desire on the day.”

Westley says the difficulty his side had in knocking out non-league Alfreton Town shows how tough the FA Cup is.

“We’ve seen non-league clubs knocking Football League clubs out of the FA Cup and we know what a tough test we had home and away against Alfreton in the last round,” he said.

“By right we ought to have won that football match [comfortably] but I knew full well that they were going to be a tough opposition and we were going to have to be on our mettle to win.

“We did the job over the two games. It wasn’t easy but we did the job and it’s the FA Cup and I as a manager love the FA Cup.

“The football club can’t overstate the importance of the FA Cup,” he added.

“It’s a massive opportunity for small clubs and every small clubs wants to progress and do well and take the adulation and the glamour and the finance that goes with the FA Cup.

“It’s just the most magical competition so we’re on it – we’re in the mood for the FA Cup.

“We know that you only get what you deserve and we’re going to go there and attack the game.”