WIMBORNE Town chairman Ken Stewart was yesterday hopeful of convincing boss Steve Cuss to perform a dramatic U-turn.

Cuss tendered his resignation following Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Slimbridge, with that resignation not accepted by the club at the time of writing yesterday, writes Ned Payne.

Only goal difference separates Magpies from the Southern South & West relegation places following a poor start to the campaign.

However, Stewart remains hopeful that Cuss could be convinced to stay for the second time this season.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s fans’ forum at Cuthbury, at which Cuss’s future is likely to be top of the agenda, Stewart told the Echo's sister paper The (Bournemouth) Daily Echo: “I can confirm that following Saturday’s disappointment, Steve did resign.

“His resignation has not been accepted and we are trying to talk to him before the fans’ forum.

“As far as the directors are concerned, we want to speak to him to see if we can talk him round.

“A statement will follow after the fans’ forum but, until that time, the club will not make any further comment.”

Stewart confirmed the agenda of the forum would be largely dictated by whether Cuss had a change of heart.

The chairman added: There are a few other things that the club has going on which the fans need to know about.

“Rather than hear it in the press or on Twitter, they can hear it first-hand on Monday.”

Speculation over Cuss’s future intensified following the loss to Slimbridge and Magpies director Ken Fergus addressed the rumour mill that evening when he revealed that Cuss had not been sacked.

And asked whether the club wanted Cuss to stay on, Fergus added: “Absolutely, 100 per cent.”

Wimborne were 1-0 down in the fourth minute against Slimbridge and the task was made even tougher just before the half hour mark when the lead was doubled.

Shortly after the break it was 3-0 and that was how it stayed until the final whistle.

Magpies have won just three out of 14 league games this season and were last week dumped out of the Dorset Senior Cup at the first-round stage following a 5-1 home humbling at the hands of Western League Gillingham.

The Cuthbury outfit had previously seen their FA Trophy and FA Cup campaigns ended by Larkhall Athletic and lower-league Blackfield & Langley, respectively.