The shock exit of Gavin Skelton days after he returned as Workington Reds boss has pulled the players together, according to manager Lee Andrews.

Reds have had to deal with injuries, suspensions and managerial changes which have made reaching safety in the Evo-Stik Premier League even harder.

But Andrews believes tough moments like the dramatic departure of Skelton on January 5, days after he returned to the club from Carlisle United, have spurred his players on to three wins in a row and added fuel to their desire to finish the job.

Now they sit four points from safety ahead of this afternoon’s visit of Basford United to Borough Park (3pm kick-off).

Andrews said: “Adversity can pull everyone together when you’re in a struggle like we have been.

“What happened with Gavin just pulled the lads together and gave them that extra bit between their teeth.

“Obviously we know we’ve got a long way to go – we’ve only won three games in a row – but they are fighting.”

With games in hand and key players like Dave Symington set to return from injury in the near future, there is a feeling in the camp that the squad can lift the club out of danger in the remaining games.

Reds could climb one spot to 20th in the league table with a win today over Basford, who are chasing promotion but have only just pulled themselves out of a stick patch of form which saw them lose five league games in a row.