GRIMSBY Town manager Paul Hurst is determined to keep Southend United bottom of the table this weekend.

Hurst is looking to lead the second from bottom Mariners to safety after being reappointed as manager at the end of December.

But the 46-year-old is not adding extra pressure to this weekend's clash against the Shrimpers. 

"I’m not trying to downplay it – I wouldn’t class it as a pressure game, we haven’t got the fans there to add to that sort of feeling," Hurst told Grimsby Live. 

"We know it’s important, of course it is, but you only have to look at our League position to know every game’s important.

"Psychologically, it would be good for us if we could get the win, it would mean that we keep Southend below us, and obviously we just need to win a game of football and want to win a game of football to get that feeling back and grow a bit of confidence."

Hurst was also linked with the Shrimpers job back in the summer of 2019 before Kevin Bond was appointed on a full-time basis.

But Hurst has dismissed suggestions he was ever line for the job. 

"No, I think that was probably just paper talk," he added.