Dave Hewson says he and joint manager Lee Andrews have complete faith in their Workington Reds squad that they can rise from the ashes.

Reds have had a poor start to the season and are languishing in the relegation zone at the bottom of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League.

But Hewson insists the squad is sticking together and, with a couple of wins under their belt, they could turn their season around, hopefully starting tomorrow with their FA Trophy tie at Newcastle Town.

“At this moment in time the squad is still together.

“We are still very much behind the players and they are very much behind us,” said Hewson.

“That is important that we stick together through thick and thin. The players want things to turn around and are desperate for it to happen.

“We just have to go in again with the same trust and belief that we have in the team that they are good enough to beat anyone.

“We have proved that already this season by beating the top side and now we just need to do it again.

“There is a lot of pressure on Lee and myself and on the players as well, and we won’t shy away from that.

“Results are everything in football and we just need to put a run together, get a couple of wins and then that will give the lads confidence to go on from there.”

Reds this week also announced the departure of defender Lewis Tidy. The centre-half arrived at the club during the summer but cited the lack of first team opportunities as his reason for quitting.

He thanked the club for the opportunity but felt he had to move on in an effort to play regular first team football.

Hewson paid tribute to Tidy saying: “He has been a model professional and had a great attitude on matchdays and in training, showing great patience throughout the first three months of the season.”

Tidy featured in seven of the pre-season games and scored his first goal for the club in the match at Penrith.

But when the season proper got under way, the former Marske United and Whitehaven defender found himself on the bench and has been named as a substitute no fewer than 17 times.

The club thanked Tidy for his commitment to the cause, wishing him a change in fortune at the next stage of his career.