Maher: Southend Must Stick Together After Sudden Slide

But the Shrimpers boss remains confident his squad have enough about them to see off the threat of relegation after finding themselves out of the drop zone on goal difference.

The Essex club’s recent woes, off field issues and much improved form of many of the teams down the bottom has seen the club plunged into problems.

Three straight defeats has Maher and the fans looking over their shoulders but the manager refuses to push the panic button.

“I won’t gloss over the position we find ourselves in,” said the Roots Hall boss after defeats to Chesterfield, Gateshead and York City this weekend gave the table a totally different look.

“It’s important to remember we’re playing with a deduction but we’re not hiding away from anything - we know we need to collect some results over the next few weeks to get us moving up the table again.

“To concede so late and from a set-piece, it’s bitterly disappointing. Some of the football we play is top drawer at times but you can play as well as you want - you have to win games.”

Next up it’s a huge game at bottom club Oxford City on Saturday.

Maher says it’s critical that everyone sticks together and Southend are to take a huge following with over 1,000 tickets already sold.

“We’ve got to start getting some points on the board and we do that by sticking together - the fans will have a huge part to play in that,” he said.