DIRECTOR Adam Murry said Cherries’ decision to part company with boss Jimmy Quinn “had to be taken”.

Murry said Quinn had left the club on “amicable” terms following an hour-long meeting at the Royal Bath Hotel last night.

The 49-year-old Ulsterman, who succeeded Kevin Bond at the start of September, spent just 121 days at the helm, taking charge of 24 games.

Quinn had refused to resign after calls for his head intensified following Cherries’ calamitous defeat to relegation rivals Barnet on Sunday.

But with the club’s Football League status under serious threat, the Cherries board relieved Quinn of his services and have placed him on gardening leave.

Popular ex-defender Eddie Howe, who worked under Quinn’s predecessor Kevin Bond, will take charge of team affairs for Cherries’ trip to Darlington on Saturday.

Howe, who is likely to be assisted by the club’s head of youth Joe Roach, is expected to take on a caretaker role on a game-by-game basis.

The Cherries board were last night still considering the fates of Quinn’s assistant Jason Tindall and director of football operations Ted Sutton.

Murry told the Daily Echo: “We’re at the stage now where it is make or break for the club and we need to be winning games. We need to see some consistency on the pitch.

“We’re trying to breathe new life into the club. We need different tactics and different strategies on the pitch and, at this point in time, we felt things needed freshening up.

“In my opinion, we’ve got some extremely talented players and the team is as good as any other in this league and as good as some in the league above.

“If we can maintain some consistency on the pitch, we will definitely stay up and hopefully be challenging for promotion next season.

“It’s unfortunate that this has to be done but it was a decision that had to be taken.”

A club statement read: “The club would like to take this opportunity to thank Jimmy for his efforts over the past four months and wishes him every success in the future.”

Quinn’s turbulent four-month stay was the shortest managerial reign at Dean Court – by some considerable margin – since Cherries joined the Football League in 1923.

He presided over Cherries’ disastrous FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league minnows Blyth Spartans last month, which cost the club around £250,000 in lost revenue.

And he was regularly pilloried by supporters for his percieved negative tactics, which often saw Cherries play with a lone striker, while the brand of football also drew criticism.

News of Quinn’s departure was revealed exclusively on the Daily Echo website late last night and came following another dramatic day at Dean Court.

His exit was confirmed just hours after a consortium led by Murry had concluded a deal with owner Paul Baker for his 50 per cent stake in the club.

The move will see the group join forces with chief executive Alastair Saverimutto, with Bournemouth-based businessman Murry becoming director of operations. The position of chairman will remain vacant.

Murry said: “We’re bringing in business people who can bring innovative ideas to the club and hopefully bring back a bit of credibility to the club.

“I’m taking a big risk myself but I want to make a success of the club because I’ve grown attached to it and feel as though I can make some positive changes that will give positive results.

“I’m not standing up as chairman, I’ll be director of operations and will run it with an iron fist.”