Ashford United have sacked manager Kevin Watson after less than a season in charge.

Watson won his final match on Saturday as the Nuts & Bolts beat Littlehampton 1-0 at Homelands.

But he was dismissed after the game and departs with the club 11th in Isthmian South East.

Assistants Tommy Osborne and Adam Flanagan have also left.

“Kevin Watson and his team have been relieved of their duties at Ashford, after a difficult season,” said a club statement.

“Ashford United would like to take this opportunity to thank Kevin, Adam and Tommy for their support and efforts this season and we wish them well for their future in football.”

Watson, the former Chatham and Cray Valley manager, succeeded Tommy Warrilow last summer after leaving Herne Bay.

He had a difficult start as work on Ashford’s replacement 3G pitch overran, leaving them searching for training venues and playing their opening home games at Chatham.

Watson was keen to implement an attractive brand of football and vowed to stick to his principles amid some disappointing results.

The low point was a 6-0 defeat at then-winless East Grinstead, after which Watson offered to lead a whip-round to refund travelling fans.

Ashford put seven past Binfield in an FA Trophy qualifier but struggled for consistency in the league.

They suffered five successive losses in January and while they took seven points from the next three games, 4-0 and 5-1 defeats by Ramsgate and Sittingbourne highlighted the gap to the top sides.

Robbie Rees scored the first-half winner against Littlehampton as Watson went out on a victory.

He finishes with a record of 16 wins, six draws and 18 losses from 40 games, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup.

The Nuts & Bolts are subject of a takeover with owner Don Crosbie expecting to complete a deal to sell the club by the end of May.