BELIEF will be the key for East Thurrock United’s bid to beat the Ryman Premier League drop according to their boss.

Ahead of their clash tonight with Margate at Rookery Hill, John Coventry said if his players believe in the talents they have on the pitch then they will avoid relegation.

The Rocks sit in a precarious position with six matches left finding themselves in the league’s drop zone.

But a win over Margate would lift them out of trouble and above Wingate & Finchley due to their superior goal difference.

Coventry said he is backing his side to pull themselves out of their relegation battle successfully.

“It is all about belief,” he said.

“I have always believed that we can get out of this and stay in the league, but sometimes you look at the players and wonder ‘Do you still believe?’.

“The guys just have to keep focused and remember how talented they are.

“If they do this, then survival will come.”

He said there are no targets set currently in terms of points needed to avoid relegation or which games to aim for wins.

Coventry said: “I just want to win each game as it comes.

“The fact is if we win the next six games then our job is done and we won’t have to worry about relegation.

“We know that when we are in games that we’ve got the players like Sam Higgins and Lewis Smith who can pop up and get a goal out of nothing, then we just have to keep compact at the back.”