Lee Andrews is to step down from his role as Workington Reds’ first team manager at the end of the season.

His announcement followed Workington’s relegation being confirmed after Saturday’s home defeat to Gainsborough Trinity.

He will remain in charge for Reds’ final three matches before ending a long standing association with the club which began in 2008.

It has seen him give distinguished service as a player, coach and manager over the past decade.

“I share everyone’s disappointment of how the season has gone and feel the time is right for the club to move in a different direction with fresh impetus,” said the former defender.

“I’m looking forward to spending more time at home with my family because, without their support, I would have never been able to do this over the past four seasons,” he concluded.

A club spokesman said: “We would like to place on record our gratitude to Lee for his dedicated service and loyalty.

“The position will be advertised imminently with the club beginning the process to identify and appoint a new manager as soon as possible.”

Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Gainsborough Trinity pushed the losing run to eight games – with one more chance to end the depressing sequence on Easter Monday with the visit of Lancaster City.

Speaking after the game, and before the announcement of his decision to leave at the end of the season, Andrews said: “I’m beginning to sound like a broken record. It was almost a rerun of the South Shields game in midweek.

“We did well for 40 minutes, probably the better side again, and then at exactly the same time we conceded a penalty which was scored to put us behind at the break.

“We didn’t do as well in the second-half but the sending-off didn’t help. Scotty [Scott Allison] was done no favours by the player going down in a heap and screaming, but it wasn’t a two-footed challenge.

“They scored a second, a minute later, and that was about it, although I certainly couldn’t fault the players for efforts.”

Reds go to Buxton on Saturday; entertain Lancaster City on Easter Monday and finish-off at Scarborough on April 27. Josh Calvert won’t play in any of them after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-0 defeat at Witton.

Skipper Gari Rowntree had to come-off again on Saturday with a niggling knee problem that kept him out of the South Shields game.