New Bristol Rovers' keeper Fraser Forster has already been on the receiving end of a Leyton Orient goals blitz this summer – and has no intention of going through it again tomorrow, writes Chris Swift.

The 21-year-old loan signing was between the posts for Newcastle United when the Championship newcomers suffered a shock 6-1 mauling at Brisbane Road in a pre-season friendly last month.

Tomorrow he is in line to make his league debut for the Pirates against the same opponents when the Londoners visit the Memorial Stadium for this season's curtain-raiser.

Newcastle were already trailing 2-1 when Forster took over the gloves following the interval at Orient a couple of weeks ago.

He found himself picking the ball out of the net twice in eight minutes before the Londoners capitalised on the Toon's defensive disarray by scoring two more late goals.

"I only played in the second half so I'm not taking the blame for all six goals!" insisted Forster.

"But it's great to be able to play Orient again so quickly. Hopefully I'll have better memories from this game.

"You can have days when you can make 10 saves but still concede five goals – and others when you make 10 saves and keep a clean sheet. It's part of being a goalkeeper. You just have to put it out of your mind and move on."

Even O's boss Geraint Williams – a former Bristol Rovers player – described the outcome as a "freak result". But Forster learned enough about tomorrow's opponents to know that Rovers will face a testing opener this weekend.

"Orient looked like a good team and had James Scowcroft up front, who played unbelievably well and won a lot in the air," he said.

"But it was just one of those games – a pre-season friendly and you can't read too much into it. What really counts is that everything goes right when the season really starts."

Hexham-born Forster was a season ticket-holder at St James' Park in the days when the Magpies were a force to be reckoned with in the top flight under Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson.

Those days must seem a distant memory now for Geordies who have witnessed the painful and shambolic fall from grace of a club which has been in well-documented turmoil in recent months.

"That's Newcastle for you," said Forster. "There's plenty of stuff going on there but I'm here to focus on playing a few games and then see what happens.

"The only constant in football is change, but as players you have a job to do – to give your best in training and on matchdays. All you can do is focus on that.

"Rovers seems like a really good club. Paul Trollope and Lennie Lawrence seem great. The first day at the training ground was an experience, but it just makes you appreciate what you have got at Newcastle a bit more."

Forster had his first taste of action with his new team-mates in Tuesday's thrilling 4-3 win over a young Liverpool side, two of the goals he conceded coming from sensational long-range strikes.

"I'd played against most of them before and Liverpool always have good youth and reserve sides who get the ball down and pass it," said Forster.

"They scored two goals that probably only go in one time out of a hundred – on another day the first would have gone wide and the other one would have hit the post and stayed out rather than going in.

"But it was a good game to play in and I thought the lads did really well and looked good going forward. Obviously I haven't had much time to get used to the back four and the way they play, but hopefully that will come over the next couple of weeks in training and in games."

Forster will not be available for Tuesday's Carling Cup clash against Aldershot as the Magpies do not want him cup tied, but he hopes to be back in contention for next weekend's first away game at Stockport County. And he is no stranger to Edgeley Park.

"I had a month on loan there last season and did quite well. It will be nice to go back, although a lot has changed there over the last six months," he said.

"I knew Dominic Blizzard from my time there so it was great to come to a new club and know someone straight away. We're staying in the same hotel at the moment so it's nice to have someone to chat to who can show you around a bit."

Though still awaiting his first-team debut with the Toon, Forster kept three clean sheets in his six games for County last term – and admits there's a big difference between reserve team football and League One.

"You don't find many senior pros playing reserve football and the difference in league games is that every point is vital," he said.

"It doesn't really matter that much if you lose a game in the reserve league, but at first-team level you want to get as many wins as possible. Hopefully we can do that over the next few weeks."