Paul Trollope has described the club's home draw against West Ham United in the second round of the Carling Cup as a "great cup tie".

The first team coach feels the clash with the Hammers is a worthy reward for his team's penalty shoot-out victory over Crystal Palace in midweek.

The match has already been confirmed by Sky Sports as their first live game from the round, and Paul is relishing a "special evening" at the Memorial Stadium a week on Tuesday.

"It's a great cup tie for us," Paul told bristolrovers.co.uk, "We did well to get past Palace and now that's set up a fantastic cup night at the Memorial Stadium and it's going to be a really, really tough test for us.

"We've played some quality teams from higher divisions over the past couple of years but I don't think anything will compare to this.

"West Ham are a Premier League outfit with huge tradition and they have invested heavily in their squad over the last few months and it's going to be a huge challenge for us.

"They spent a lot of money after just avoiding relegation last season and I think they are going to be a force in the Premier League this year, and will probably be looking for a top half finish.

"It's a big test for us, one which we will be ready for, and I'm sure we will get a fantastic crowd under the lights at the Mem, and hopefully we can make it a very special night for the fans.

"Whatever side they put out, it will be a very strong side. We'll be ready for it when it comes, but we have two very important league games to play before then."