By Brian Bennett

Ashington’s long serving skipper Karl Ross says that the players ‘need the support of the fans more than ever’ after the club and manager Marc Ellison parted company by mutual agreement earlier in the week.

The Woodhorn Lane club have brought in Paul Dunn on an interim basis who in turn has asked former Sunderland player Liam Bridcutt to be his assistant.

The Colliers are in the relegation zone but their situation worsened on Tuesday night after Beverley Town won 1-0 at Silsden. The result saw the East Riding side leapfrog over both Ashington – who slipped a further rung down the ladder – and Grimsby Borough who are now fourth from bottom.

Ashington’s forthcoming programme sees four of their next five league matches at home with Dunn’s reign beginning on Saturday (November 7) against Consett at the Lane.

Ross said: “It’s a fresh start and things have gone well at training – it was a great session on Tuesday night and the intensity was high. However we need everyone to be singing off the same hymn sheet. We also need the supporters to get behind us more than ever. They make a difference 100 per cent and since I joined the club eight years ago, they have always been brilliant. No doubt they (the fans) will turn up and try and give us that little bit of a spur which we need as we look to pick up some much needed results.”

The 28 year-old, looking ahead to Saturday’s clash with Consett, added: “We look like a team who are low on confidence but we’ll be bang up for it. We know on our day we can beat anyone and we’re at home so it’s down to us.”

Kick-off is 3pm.