Whitstable Town parted ways with manager Simon Halsey after slumping to the foot of Ryman League Division 1 South on Tuesday night.

A 3-1 defeat - their seventh in a row - at rock-bottom Chipstead, who had only won once in their 18 league games this season, spelled the end for Halsey, who had previously steered Herne Bay into the Ryman League and kept Ramsgate in it last season.

Halsey admitted: “It’s not been a good time. I am a realistic person. I’ve not been putting points on the board. I knew it had been looming. We needed points and I have not managed to do it.

“The chairman (Gary Johnson) and I had an amicable chat, sat in the stand and we agreed things weren’t going the way we all wanted. It was a mutual decision, we didn’t want it to be a case of him sacking me or me resigning."

Halsey only took the reins at the Belmont in September, replacing rookie boss Will Graham, who left the club without a point on the board after five league games.

Halsey began with a hard-earned draw against former side Bay, but could only pick up two wins in his 16 league games in charge.

The Chipstead defeat was their 12th in 13 games in all competitions, a run which included an 8-0 home humbling by Walton Casuals and their goal difference means Town are effectively 12 points adrift of safety, having played five more games than fourth-bottom Sittingbourne.

Defeat at the bottom side proved the final straw, however Halsey said: “Even if we had won the game the pressure would have still been there. We needed to put six or seven wins together. It would have happened sooner or later if we hadn’t turned it around."

He added: "To be honest I think the 8-0 killed us. I have been around in the game a long time and I have to say it knocked the stuffing out of me. I've been hurting.

"I loved my time at Whitstable. Gary has been a superb chairman, despite a lot of negative things which have been said about him lately, and we got on well.

"I am just gutted I couldn’t turn it around and give the fans the success they deserve. I was assistant to Marc Seager in 2007 when the club went up and I genuinely want to see someone come in and get them out of this, even if it’s staying up on goal-difference.

"I am so disappointed that I helped get them up but am now leaving them in the trouble they are in."

Halsey took responsibility for the team's woes, but claimed some of his signings had contributed to his demise.

He said: "A lot of players got an opportunity to play Ryman League football, but unfortunately some of them have not stepped up and really taken it, which is a shame.

"I am the manager though and if the players don’t perform then that is my fault.
I am not going to blame other people, I have to take it on the chin and come back stronger from the experience.”

Halsey said ‘never say never’ about a return to management, but he added: “I am 51 soon and I just don’t know what is going to happen.

"I’m booking a holiday, first-up, and I’ll probably go and watch a bit of West Ham. I want to spend some time with my kids, maybe I’ll do my daughter’s house up.

"Nomatter what I want to have a good break from the game.”