GARY OWERS expects that Altrincham's poor start to the season will make it harder and not easier when he takes his Forest Green Rovers side to Cheshire tomorrow.

Altrincham lost 3-0 at Stevenage on the opening day of the season and followed that up with a 1-0 home defeat to Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night.

Owers told the Gazette: "The fact that they have not had the best start means that they will be fighting for everything."

Forest Green on the other hand have yet to concede a goal and have picked up four points from their opening two games.

Owers added: "I am really pleased with the way that we have performed as a team considering the short amount of time that we have all been together."

However, one worrying aspect is that they have gone down to ten men in both matches, although Owers is happy that his players have shown some fight.

He said: "I will not be asking my players to stop making tackles."

The game at Altrincham kicks off at 3pm. Rovers have no midweek game.

Nationwide Conference National Tamworth 0 Forest Green Rovers 0

RYAN CLARKE'S second clean sheet in as many games ensured that Owers' men kept up their unbeaten start to the new season.

However, the problem of discipline reared its ugly head as Rovers had a man sent off for the second consecutive match.

Half-time substitute Jon Beswetherick was dismissed with a little under quarter of an hour remaining.

The former Plymouth Argyle man picked up two bookings for foul challenges.

Scott Rendell and Sekani Simpson both forced home goalkeeper James Dormand into action in the first half.

The second period was more of a struggle for Forest Green and Clarke had to be alert to make sure former Rovers players Hugh McAuley and Julian Alsop did not come back to haunt their old side.

Nationwide Conference National Forest Green Rovers 1 Cambridge United 0

A DEBUT goal from Scott Rendell gave Forest Green the best possible start to the new season.

Eighteen-year-old Rendell headed a Matt Gadsby cross past United's on loan goalkeeper Darren Behcet to give Rovers the victory.

Rendell is on work experience from Reading as he has not signed professional terms for the Berkshire club and therefore can not go out on a regular loan.

The home side had to play the last half hour with ten men after central defender Abdou Sall was sent off on his league debut for stamping on the foot of an opponent as the players jostled for position from a free-kick.

Goalkeeper Ryan Clarke was the hero for Forest Green, putting in a commanding performance to deal with the late Cambridge bombardment, which included a great tip over from a Folawiyo Onibuje header.

Rovers could well have won more convincingly but Paul Wanless headed two good chances wide, while substitute Lewis Haldane smashed a late shot well off target.