By Pete Oliver

Next season, four teams go down, so we have to improve even further Gary Owers

Forest Green Rovers manager Gary Owers admits that he will spend little time dwelling on his side's great escape as he tries to plan for a more secure future.

A last-day win hauled Rovers off the bottom of the Conference table and out of the drop zone to stop them relying on Altrincham's possible points deduction for salvation.

"It's a relief, and stops the uncertainty of what might happen over the summer," Owers told BBC Sport.

"I just wanted to stay out of the bottom two, and then everyone else can get on with it.

"The chairman said at the start of the season that my job was to take us into the new stadium in the Conference, and we have done that.

"The pressure was on me because of the responsibility of not wanting to be the one to carry the can for letting him down.

"But there was also pressure on him because he has invested a lot of money. He is a popular figure here and he really drives the club."

Chairman Trevor Horsley admitted that relegation to Conference South would have had major financial repercussions for Forest Green - including a possible switch back to part-time status.

But the Gloucestershire club can now look forward to moving into their new ground as a fully professional club, after signing off from The Lawn on a winning note.

"It was a great day and could not have ended any better. But that was the last game in the stadium and that's gone," Owers added.

"We have enjoyed the weekend, but we are getting on with it. Next season, four go down so we have to improve even further."

Forest Green have not finished outside the bottom four for two years, with relegation only avoided last summer when Northwich were sent down for a breach of rules instead.

Owers' appointment followed, but the former Rovers player had little time to rebuild a team which had not been good enough to survive on merit.

This time, the 37-year-old has room for manoeuvre - and anticipates some fairly major surgery to his current squad.

"It's another fresh start and there's even more responsibility this time so I've got to make sure I get the best possible players available," said the former Sunderland and Bristol City midfielder.

"Getting the right players is the key, and if we can get the whole squad here on day one that will give us a great chance.

Rovers are leaving The Lawn for a new stadium this summer

"Two weeks before the start of last season, we had 25 players on trial. I want to try and get everyone here from day one and work with a settled squad."

That squad will still not be a match for some of the Conference's high-fliers.

But thanks to Owers' efforts this season, at least he can start preparing to compete again with the biggest clubs outside the Football League.

"It's one step at a time. From a team that finished third from bottom, we are not going to win the league all of a sudden," Owers said.

"There are clubs with bigger resources than us at their disposal but I don't like to go on about that. I just get on with it.

"We went full-time last year and hopefully we will get the benefit of that as it takes a while to get a full-time team established.

"Changing from part-time was more of a status thing than a professional one, and hopefully that will change.

"I think we have got a good chance of attracting players here when they see the facilities and see how we are trying to push the club forward.

"If you see the stadium, I think it's a place where people would like to play."