Long Melford sack manager Liam Joyce after last-gasp defeat at league leaders Fakenham Town with chairman’s son Darren Thomas and Rob Fayers named as new joint bosses

A third straight defeat that took Long Melford’s winless run to 14 Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division matches has led the board to sack manager Liam Joyce - and announce his replacements which includes the chairman’s son.

The Villagers, who sit second bottom of the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division and one point above Sheringham, had actually led 1-0 at leaders Fakenham Town at half-time on Saturday via Joshua Fenton Jones’ stoppage-time goal.

But they ended up losing 2-1 as the Ghosts got out of jail by finding a winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time to break Melford hearts.

It ended up being the final game of a seven-month spell in charge at Stoneylands for former AFC Sudbury and Braintree Town promotion-winning coach Joyce in what had been his first foray as a senior manager.

Following his 12-0 defeat at holders Needham Market in the Suffolk Premier Cup on October 8, Joyce had urged the club and their supporters to judge him not on that - having fielded an experimental side to rest players - but on the next five weeks.

Having won none of the next five games in all competitions but ended it with two consecutive 2-2 draws, including at basement side Sheringham, chairman Geoff Thomas told SuffolkNews he felt the performances showed an injury-hit squad was ‘turning a corner’ and said he thought ‘the next four games will be crucial’.

A 4-0 defeat at promotion-hopefuls Mulbarton Wanderers was followed by a 1-0 reverse at mid-table Kirkley & Pakefield ahead of Saturday’s narrow loss at the leaders.

But having seen him pick up just one win in 20 matches, including five draws, and having registered an eye-watering 73 players (44 used), a statement attributed to chairman Thomas released this afternoon via social media stated that his and his board’s ideas and Joyce’s no longer matched up.

It also went on to drop the bombshell that a new management team - including the chairman’s son - are now already confirmed to succeed him.

It read: “This is a message from the committee and chairman of Long Melford Football Club.

“We have made the decision to terminate our agreement with first-team manager Liam Joyce with immediate effect.

“We feel our ideas and Liam’s do not fit together and align well. Therefore, we must change things.

“On behalf of Long Melford Football Club,and our supporters, I would like to thank Liam for all his efforts.

“We wish Liam and his young family all the best for the future.”

It added: “Taking the reins as joint first-team managers will be Darren Thomas and Rob Fayers. Both are very experienced coaches and managers.”

Fayers was previous Melford manager David Hennessey’s assistant, whom he had previously worked with in the reserves while it is understood Darren Thomas had a brief spell in charge of the reserves after Hennessey stepped up to the first team.

The pair’s first game in charge is set to be the Boxing Day clash at home to Suffolk’s last remaining side in the FA Vase, Walsham-le-Willows (12pm) with Chay Budd and Ian Hubbard’s side lying seventh in the table.

Captain leads backlash to double announcement

But it appears the way the news came out has not been well received from within the squad, with long-serving skipper Jacob Brown posting in the comments on the Facebook post: “As the captain of the club all I’m going to say is that I’m very disappointed that this has happened and in the way it has gone about!”

Former Melford boss Jason Maher, now part of the Maldon & Tiptree dugout team, followed it by writing: “Regardless of results it’s poor form to be announcing the arrival of the new manager in the same release as thanking the departing manager.”

And Hennessey himself weighed in by commenting on his successor’s ultimate end with a lengthy post which read: “Sorry to see/hear some of the things going on at my former club 😔.

“In Rob Fayers they’ve got an excellent coach stepping up who will hopefully have the support of the players in what is going to be a challenging period. Good luck mate 🤞🏽.

“I’m a bit surprised not to see Lee Greenwood involved after his success with the u23s, promoting from within seemed to work out alright the last time the club did it! But I’m not involved so don’t know the in’s and out’s (sic).

“Hopefully things turn around and the club stay at step 5, will be a tough ask but I know from my time at the club what great spirit and commitment can do!

“Spare a thought for Liam Joyce too, never nice to see a manager sacked but I’ve no doubt he will bounce back and be better for it!”

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