PHIL Brown wants his Southend United side to stay in the running for automatic promotion with a win at Dagenham & Redbridge tomorrow.

The fourth placed Shrimpers are currently five points below the top three.

But Brown, who is currently in training for the London Marathon, wants his team to perfectly time their surge to the finishing line.

“It’s getting to the business end of the season and we need to be putting our best foot forward now,” said the 55-year-old.

“We’re still going for automatic promotion and it’s another big game with that in mind tomorrow.

“We have another 33 points to play for with games coming thick and fast.

“So this would be a great time to get on a run to try and get in to the top three.

“I’m sure we will also be taking plenty of fans to the game because it’s not too far away and we will want to send them home happy.”

Dagenham head in to the game sitting 16th in the League Two standings.

And Brown revealed he often ponders his team selections during his training runs for the marathon.

“I’ve found the running great for clearing your head and you think about things going on in your life, which of course includes football,” said Brown.

“I often think about some weird and wonderful systems and shapes while I’m doing the training but it’s all been going quite well.”

Brown will be running the marathon, on Sunday April 26, to raise money for the Sparks Children Charity and the Amy May Trust which generates funds for the treatment of Blues chairman Ron Martin’s niece who remains in hospital after suffering an catastrophic anaphylaxis reaction to a single bite of food in April 2014.

And Brown is therefore keen to push himself through the pain barrier to finish the gruelling 26.2 mile course across the capital city.

“Running for two such good causes will definitely keep me going,” said the Shrimpers chief.

“I’ve done work in the past for Sparks to help children born with illnesses and the funding for the treatment because I just don’t understand who deals those kind of cards.

“The story surrounding the chairman’s niece is also one of the saddest I think I’ve heard.

“She’s still in a coma and can only really communicate by smiling and blinking so I wanted to raise money and awareness for her as well.”

To sponsor Phil Brown visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/philbrown10