MANAGER Phil Starbuck has told Leigh RMI goalkeeper Ian Martin to 'get better or get out'.

The young shot-stopper was vilified for his role in Aldershot's comeback at the weekend as the visitors recovered a 3-1 deficit to level in injury time despite being a man light.

"I know for a fact that managers are coming here telling their players to put the 'keeper under pressure and that isn't good enough", said Starbuck.

"We need someone in goal who will take a bit of pressure off the centre-halves and I've told Ian that", he added.

Assistant manager Gary Kelly will be available again in three weeks to compete with Martin for the keeper's jersey after spending nine months on the sidelines with a thumb injury.

And Starbuck wouldn't confirm that Martin would be between the sticks for Saturday's trip to Accrington.

"He knows that if he doesn't improve and start commanding his area then I'll be forced to get someone in who can."

Stanley have made an astonishing start to the Conference season and hammered Dagenham and Redbridge 5-0 at the weekend.

But the Leigh manager is promising further improvement from his side.

"I'm surprised with the fitness level of Michael Byrne in particular, because it needs working on even though he has come from a professional club.

"That is something that we will be working with him on but he's already made a great impact so that bodes well for us.

"We can go into the game with plenty of confidence and try to silence their crowd because they'll expect to win", he added.

Leigh were comfortably beaten in all three meetings with Stanley last season, including a 4-1 thrashing in the first week of the season.

And then, Starbuck's first match in charge of the side after Mark Patterson's resignation was an FA Cup defeat at the Interlink Express Stadium last October.

"We owe them one, that's for sure", says a pumped-up Starbuck. "It's a big local game for us, they're full of busy players and we're playing well so I'm looking forward to it."

I t's the first of three games in eight days for the Railwaymen, who cross the Pennines on Tuesday to take on recently-demoted York City.