Steve Brown is hoping today’s big game at the Amex is not Final in more ways than one.

The Lewes manager admits his side will be underdogs against Whitehawk as they play for the Sussex Senior Cup.

Rooks have not played for three weeks and will be missing key players.

But Brown, appointed as interim boss for the run-in with the target of staving off relegation, also hopes it is not his final game in charge.

The former Albion youth boss wants today’s trip to his old club’s impressive home to be followed by a summer of building for next season in the Ryman Premier division.

But that means finalising an agreement which sees him remain in charge.

Brown, pictured, told The Argus: “Nothing has been finalised yet.

“There are ongoing talks, which have been positive.

“I’m no different to the players. You do a job for a specified period of time and then you talk again or move on. But the talks have been positive.”

Brown admits he would have loved the final to have come two weeks earlier, just after his side had won at Bury Town to stave off any possibility of falling into the drop zone on the final day of the season.

The final always used to be played on Bank Holiday Monday in early May.

Of course, on this occasion an earlier final would have been harder to organise anyway due to Whitehawk’s participation in the Conference south play-offs.

But the trade-off for a later date these days is a very good one – a trip to the Amex.

Brown said: “It’s going to be a great occasion and I expect the players to be lifted by it.

“It’s a huge pitch, a fantastic surface and an impressive stadium.

“The players have got to suck that all in because it doesn’t happen very often.

“We know the task we face. We are a side who can be hard to break down.

“If Whitehawk score a quick goal it could make it very hard for us mentally.

“If we keep it quiet for an hour or more, we give ourselves more of a chance.

“They are a very, very good side. They have some fantastic former Football League players and they have had a fantastic season.”

By contrast, Rooks’ campaign has been an uphill struggle at times.

The nature of their season –and the way the cup ties have fallen – is underlined by the fact this is the third successive round for which they have had a different management team in charge.

Garry Wilson and Danny Bloor were still at the helm when they ousted Eastbourne Borough after extra-time at the Dripping Pan in the quarter-finals.

Caretaker boss Martin Hinshelwood had taken over by the time of the semi-final against Loxwood.

But he was unable to attend that particular game so Mark McGhee and Steve Eke ran the team.

That all seems a long time ago now.

Brown said: “It’s brilliant that Lewes have got to the final and it will be a really good day.

“But ideally it would have been two weeks ago.

“The season finished three weeks ago and the fizz has gone a bit for us.

“Aaron Hopkinson has left the club and we have also got players cup-tied.

“We have been back in training but only able to work on half a pitch for an hour at a time.

“We need to get the players’ minds back in tune after a break.

“We will have a youthful squad. There will be four 18-year-olds.

“But it’s a great opportunity for the players and we will give a good account of ourselves.”

Jordan Badger, James Fraser and George Brown are cup-tied for Lewes.

But they have brought in goalkeeper Joe Taylor as cover for Rikki Banks.