GRAHAM Heathcote has warned his players that the task ahead will only get harder as they look to avoid relegation from the Blue Square Premier.

The Robins have made a strong start to 2008, winning two of their three games so far to lift them above Farsley Celtic and out of the drop zone.

Bolstered by the arrival of five new signings, as well as the return of on-loan Stoke defender Ryan Shotton, they have looked like a different side, playing with a newfound verve and resilience.

The fact that their two victories - against Northwich and Kidderminster - have both come after falling behind only serves to underline that point, although Heathcote believes things will only get more difficult from here on in, starting with Saturday's home game against on-form York.

"It's the second half of the season now and the teams looking to get into the play-offs will really start to kick on," said the Alty boss.

"The strong clubs will get even stronger, while the ones around us will be adding to their squads as well.

"It's going to get much harder but there's 20 games to go and still everything to play for.

"We just have to stay positive and keep a freshness about us and we'll stand a good chance."

Heathcote believes the new faces in his playing squad, as well as the arrival of Graham Barrow as assistant manager have been vital in getting rid of the losing mentality that had begun to infect the team.

Barrow comes with a wealth of experience, having managed several League clubs including Bury, Chester and Wigan.

And although the former Alty player has only been back at the club a week, Heathcote believes they are already beginning to see the benefits of his expertise.

He said: "Graham Barrow has great knowledge of the game and great experience and he fits right into the category of what I wanted to bring to the club.

"He's got involved in training straight away and has brought fresh ideas and systems to the team.

"Before the new year I think the players had begun to feel a bit sorry for themselves because we were losing so often.

"We've been on a poor run for three years now and some of the players have been here all that time, so it does become difficult to lift yourself.

"It became very clear that I had to make changes because the results weren't good enough but now there's a real buzz about the place."

Heathcote's restructuring work continued this week as defender Karl Munroe was released after two and a half years at the club.

The Robins boss hopes to bring in more new arrivals to strenghten his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of January.