MARINE chairman Paul Leary says the whole club is fully behind Sean Hessey and has backed the boss to repeat last year's heroics.
Hessey was appointed as caretaker manager last February and led the club to six wins and five draws from their final 12 games – including a final day win at Blyth Spartans – to remain at Step 3.
He was made permanent boss in the summer but the Mariners have struggled of late, picking up just one point from their last ten games, losing their last six.
However, rather than panicking, chairman Leary has given Hessey his full support as the Mariners head into their final 20 games three points from safety.
“I firmly believe that Sean will turn results around in the remaining 12 weeks of the season and he has been given a free reign to do what is necessary to protect our league status,” Leary said.
“The most important thing is that we all stick together and support Sean, his staff and players in their bid to improve results and performances.
“We have just had a series of really tough games against top of the league opposition without any points reward and I look forward to an improvement in results very soon.
“I appeal to our own supporters and the many football fans on Merseyside to come along to the Marine Travel Arena to support our club's efforts to retain our league status again.
“I have every confidence that our players will do it and I will be really pleased for our manager Sean Hessey and his assistant Phil Hackney for that to be the case.”
Meanwhile, Marine fan Paul Sutherland is to run ten marathons in a month to help the club raise funds for their ground appeal.
The ten Marine Ground Appeal marathons to be run by Paul start on March 5 in Telford and finish on the April 2 in Freiburg, Germany and are scheduled as follows:
1-5th March-Ground Hog running track marathon (105 laps), Telford.
2-6th March-Cambridge University Trail Marathon
3-12th March-Leeds to Liverpool Canal Marathon from Leeds – day 1
4-13th March-Leeds to Liverpool Canal Marathon from Leeds – day 2
5-15th March-Weak at the Knees Marathon, Milton Keynes – day 2
6-18th March-Weak at the Knees Marathon, Milton Keynes – day 5
7-20th March-Pick and Mix Cross country trial marathon, Northants
8-26th March-Round the Reservoir, Northampton, day 1
9-27th March-Round the Reservoir, Northampton – day 2
10-2nd April-Freiburg, Black Forest,Germany
