Kendal Town have suffered another bombshell with the resignation of manager Craig Dootson after only four games in charge.
It leaves the Parkside Road club looking for their fourth manager of a depressing season which has seen them struggling to avoid the drop.
Chairman Michael O’Neill said: “Craig has explained that non-league management has the potential to impact on his full-time job and the opportunity has come at the wrong time professionally.
“Kendal Town FC would like to publicly thank Craig for his time at the club. He was an extreme;ly popular appointment with our supporters and we are convinced with time he would have styeered us away from relegation.”
Dootson, a former Kendal goalkeeper and also ex-assistant manager, took over after Warren Beattie had to call time on his appointment following a family illness and subsequent bereavement.
The Mintcakes had started the season under Chris Humphrey who subsequently moved to take on the manager’s job with Northern League Penrith.
Dootson oversaw a 7-0 defeat at Runcorn; a 2-1 Westmorland Cup defeat to Appleby; a 2-0 home reversal to Newcastle Town and Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Marine.
The chairman said: “We were actually undone at Marine from three set-pieces, which has been the story of our season.
“We had done well for half an hour and actually missed the first chance of the game. After pulling back to 2-1 on the stroke of half-time we did well again for the first 15 minutes of the second-half but then conceded from another set-piece.”
To add to the blow of losing the game, Kendal now have to move forward without their goal-scorer Akiel Raffie who has been recalled from his loan spell by parent club Fleetwood Town.
Meanwhile Dave Woodruff, brought in as number two by Beattie and caretaker manager before Dootson, is being asked to take charge again with the help of ex-manager Dave Foster, for Saturday’s tough assignment at home to Warrington Rylands.
“We are the underdogs no doubt, but we have not given up on the fight to avoid the drop,” said O’Neill. “We have a couple of tough games coming up against Rylands and Leek but there are a run of games after that we believe can provide us with the points we need.”
