CO-CHAIRMAN Scot MacFarlane has temporarily taken the manager’s reins at New Milton Town following the departure of Luke Phillips.

Phillips, together with assistants Justin Windle and Andy Richardson, this week parted company with the Wessex One outfit after just eight games.

Under Phillips’s stewardship – which started with a 10-0 defeat by Weymouth reserves in November – New Milton lost all eight games, conceding no fewer than 38 goals and scoring just two.

Phillips was shown the door following Linnets’ 4-1 defeat by Downton on Tuesday, a result which left them 16th in Wessex One, 12 points above second-bottom Pewsey Vale.

Former Cherries player John Sainty was appointed director of football at New Milton just days after Phillips had taken over and his position remains unaltered.

A club statement, issued to the Daily Echo, read: “It is with much regret that New Milton Town FC has to announce the end of Luke Phillips’s tenure as manager of the club.

“Everyone at the club would like to thank Luke, Andy and Justin for their hard work and dedication while at the helm.

“It is always a very tough job to come in mid-season and, unfortunately, a bad run of results left the committee with a tough decision to make and we believe that, in the best interests of the football club, we must seek a fresh approach.

“Scot MacFarlane, club co-chairman, will take control and steady the ship in a caretaker-manager role until the end of the season at which point we will be advertising immediately the first-team manager’s position.”

MacFarlane will take charge for the first time when New Milton travel to Folland Sports tomorrow, the Planemakers one place below Linnets having lost their past five league games.

Also in Wessex One, Christchurch will be looking to follow up their dramatic midweek win at Ringwood when they face Weymouth reserves at the Bob Lucas Stadium.