CRADLEY Town chairman Trevor Thomas has backed the club to climb up the league despite joint-manager Mark Jones leaving the club this week.

Andy Wyton will now be the sole manager of the team after the club’s latest defeat, 3-1 to Stone Old Alleynians at The Beeches, led to Jones' departure.

Chairman Thomas praised Jones’ contribution to the Hammers. He said: “Whatever the reason for Mark to relinquish his position nothing will stop the way I feel about him as a friend.

“He played for me when he was younger and has done a lot for this club, I know it takes a lot of commitment to manage at this level and he is a busy man.

“They both knew they had time on their side and I don’t think there was a clash between the managers but sometimes a little change can improve things on the pitch.”

The chairman believes the club is in good hands with Andy Wyton at the helm.

He said: “Andy has been around non-league football for years now and has had some great spells and I know he knows what we need to do.

“We have had trouble with morale at the club, there has been no team spirit and it is up to Andy now to get everyone moving in the right direction.”

Thomas also believes the club’s bad start to the season, they currently lie second from bottom in the West Midlands Regional League, is in part down to the fixture list.

He said: “The league did not help us by giving us just two home games in the first two months.

“Hopefully now the team will knuckle down and start listening to what Andy is telling them and start winning games, we have not been that far away in a lot of the first 12 matches.”

Wellington Amateurs are Cradley Town’s next opponents at The Beeches on Saturday.