Dave Johncock's hopes of being appointed manager of struggling Deal Town are over after the caretaker boss was relieved of his duties on Monday night.

Johncock had been doing the job since Darren Anslow resigned last September. Anslow had only been appointed in June.

But with Deal currently bottom in Southern Counties East League after winning just four games this season, the board decided to act.

It meant the end of the road for Johncock, who had been promoted from his role as reserve team boss to fill the void left by Anslow, and his assistant Paul Egan.

Chairman and former Deal manager Derek Hares will now do the job until the end of the season.

The board said in a statement: “It is with sadness that the board have decided to relieve Dave Johncock and Paul Egan of their duties and we would like to thank them for their efforts on behalf of the club.

“But, with the first team currently bottom of the Southern Counties East League, we believe our best chance of staying up is to put Derek Hares in charge of the team until the end of the season.

“Derek, who has been club chairman since January 2014, and the first team manager for 10 years before that, will step down from the chairman's position immediately.

"Rob Marriott, another member of the board, will take over as acting chairman, again until the end of the season.”