Maidstone co-owner Terry Casey says the decision to replace Jay Saunders has been made to give supporters hope.

The Stones board feared another relegation battle after starting the National League season with two wins in seven games.

Saunders left on Tuesday by mutual consent after seven years in charge and the club have started the search for his replacement.

United kept faith with Saunders, who won three promotions in four years, after a 17-game winless run last season.

But they've seen little sign of improvement and decided to act after a 2-1 home defeat by Boreham Wood on Bank Holiday Monday.

Casey said: "It is sad. It's a great, great shame because he's a terrific young man and we've had seven-and-a-half fantastic years but it's clear that we've done two years and a bit in the National League and we haven't been able to establish ourselves.

"We have to, for the supporters' sakes and ours, see if somebody else can do it. That's behind the decision really.

"All three of us have unanimously made the decision, Bill (Williams), Oliver (Ash) and myself.

"We all recognised we need to give the supporters a bit of hope.

"Monday was disappointing and I think the supporters were looking for us to come up with something different.

"We don't want to end up getting relegated quite frankly and we feared that was a possibility unless we made a change."

Casey hopes Saunders will continue to work for the club's academy.

But the directors feel it's time for a change at the top after an increased budget didn't deliver the results they expected.

Casey said: "We've increased the budget over the last three years. I think that put extra pressure on him.

"It's a good playing budget and that means the expectations go up.

"We're not playing and performing better than we did last season or the season before, when the budgets were smaller.

"He's had two and a bit seasons and we still look as though we're a relegation side.

"I'd just like to be in this league by the end of the season.

"We've made a poor start and unless we made a few changes I think we'd be struggling throughout the whole season.

"I think the height of our ambition now is to stay in this league and try and climb to mid-table if we can.

"In the short term we just want to stabilise and get a few results.

"We don't win enough matches. We need someone to come in and win games."

Maidstone anticipate big interest in the job, with Casey looking for someone in Saunders' mould.

He said: "I'm missing him already to be honest because he had a way of dealing with things and a way of behaving that was admirable.

"It doesn't help when his players haven't performed as we all thought they would do but it's football.

"If we can get somebody who demonstrates the level of decency and honesty that Jay showed then we'll be halfway there.

"He's such a good man. He's a good bloke and if we can someone like that, that'll be a terrific start."