ADAM Peek insists he was always confident that his Southend Manor side could stave off relegation from the Essex Senior League.

Manor have been in danger of the drop for the majority of the campaign, but a run of four wins in their last five outings ensured the club are mathematically safe.

And Peek has not been surprised by his side’s resurgence.

“We have now got three wins on the bounce and it’s another step in the right direction,” said the Manor chief.

“I have always said that this league is about availability.

“Anyone can beat anyone in this league and a big reason for that is because it depends who each team has available on the day.

“I always knew that when I had the majority of my players available that we were good enough to get some wins on the board.

“There is a good feeling in the camp and the boys are full of confidence, but we want to continue our form until the end of the season.”

Manor’s fine form has seen them move up to 16th place in the standings.

There are just three fixtures of the season remaining and Peek has challenged his players to prove why they deserve a place in his squad next term.

“The boys are playing for their shirts ahead of next season,” added Peek.

“I want the players to use the last three games of the season to show why they are here and why they should be with us for the new campaign.

“We have been struggling for a lot of the season and now we are playing to restore some pride.

“We have moved up the table again and we have our sights set on keeping on moving up the standings because we want to finish as high as possible.”

A key reason for Manor’s three consecutive wins has been the form of Michael Ogboin.

The striker netted the winner as Manor came from a goal down to seal a 2-1 win at Hoddesdon Town on Saturday.

Ogboin also grabbed both goals as Peek’s outfit sealed a derby victory over Hullbridge Sports last month.

And Peek is pleased to have seen Ogboin impress after suffering with a health problem.

“Michael came in when we were crying out for a goalscorer,” admitted the Manor boss.

“He had some health problems but, since then, he has come in to the side and added a different dimension to the team.

“He has scored four goals in three games and done exactly what we asked him to do.

“It’s great to see him in such good form at the moment.”