DORCHESTER Town have announced the resignation of manager Craig Laird with immediate effect.

Laird’s assistant-manager Trevor Senior and first-team coach Stuart Heath will take charge of the side for the Magpies’ FA Cup first qualifying round tie at AFC Portchester on Saturday on an interim basis.

A statement on the club’s website, published at 9.30pm, said that Laird had resigned owing to “increased work commitments in his main employment”.

The statement read: “Following discussions between team manager Craig Laird and the board of directors of Dorchester Town Football Club, Craig Laird has resigned as team manager with immediate effect citing increased work commitments in his main employment.

“Trevor Senior has been appointed as interim manager with Stuart Heath working alongside him.”

Laird’s tenure began on New Year’s Day, when he was appointed to succeed former boss Mark Jermyn.

Laird successfully oversaw the club’s survival in the Southern League Premier last season, but in the new campaign results have gone against the Magpies.

Dorchester opened with a 5-1 loss at Banbury, before registering their first and, to date, only win against Basingstoke Town when Ollie Griggs got the winner in a 1-0 victory.

Since then, the Magpies have both failed to score and keep a clean sheet, losing 2-0 at home to King’s Lynn before a 4-0 drubbing at Redditch United.

Laird’s final game in charge was the 3-0 Ridgeway derby loss to arch-rivals Weymouth.

Dorchester currently sit in 20th place on three points having conceded 14 goals, with a goal difference of -12.