Martin Hayes says he was disappointed by the haste with which the Dover crowd turned on him after being sacked after just 15 months at Crabble.

Hayes’ side have only lost two of their opening 11 games in Blue Square Bet South but just three wins in that spell has left them down in 12th and a poor show in a 1-1 draw at home to Havant & Waterlooville was the final straw for chairman Jim Parmenter.

Hayes (pictured) said: "There are high expectations at Dover. The chairman has the club all geared up for Conference football and that makes the fans edgy as they know it’s all in place. That puts more pressure on every result, a draw is classed as a defeat.

"There’s been no major falling out with the chairman," he said. "He’s made a decision, I don’t agree with it. If I cross swords with Dover in the future I have nothing to prove. We’ve achieved history in my time at the club.

"You have to have the support of the chairman – and I feel I have – but also the supporters and I don’t think I’ve had their backing.

"It is a bit disappointing fans turn the way they do. The FA Cup was only six or seven months ago. Unfortunately, there are a few short memories."