NEW caretaker boss Darren Edmondson will take charge of Bradford Park Avenue for the first time in tonight's home clash with Chorley.

The 44-year-old, who led Barrow to the Conference North title last year, goes straight in at the deep end after the club parted company with Martin Drury and his assistant Jamie Price yesterday.

With Avenue currently 18th in the National North table ahead of this evening's match at the Horsfall Stadium, the club decided it was the right time for a change, and former Huddersfield, Plymouth and York City pro Edmondson has been appointed for the remainder of the campaign.

Owner Gareth Roberts said: “The board would like to thank Martin and Jamie for their undeniable hard work and dedication.

“Football management is a difficult and frustrating occupation and we have agreed that a fresh outlook is needed at the club at this time.”

Avenue chairman John Dean added: “Martin and Jamie are very popular in our club community and there will be genuine sadness that we have to part company with them for now.

“Despite their excellent coaching and superb work ethic, they’ve simply been unable to produce consistent results on the pitch so far.

“We hope very much that, in the future, when our situation is a more stable one and when they have gained more experience on the management side, we’ll perhaps have an opportunity to work together again. We are grateful for all their efforts.

“For now, we need a more experienced manager and some wins to bring safety for this season and put us in a stronger position for next season.

“We feel that Darren Edmondson has the track record to deliver that.”

Drury and Price had been at the helm since April 2015, but the former boss admitted their departures were in the best interests of the club.

He said: “At a meeting with the board, it was mutually agreed that we would part company with the club.

“It was not an easy decision to make but we both feel it was the right thing to do for both the football club and ourselves.

“We would like to thank Gareth Roberts, John Dean and the board for the great faith they showed in us when they asked us to take the team forward a year ago.

“We would also like to thank the supporters, who have been fully behind us this year. There aren’t many of them but they are a credit to the league and the club for their loyal support.

“Most of all, we would like to thank the players. We assembled a group that we believed in and still do.

“Although the league table doesn’t look as we’d like it to right now, the team still have games in hand over others and we feel certain that, with or without us, they will finish in a respectable position.

“We have put our hearts and souls into the club and wish them every success.”

Elsewhere this evening, Albion Sports host Barton Town Old Boys in the NCE League Cup fourth round, while Liversedge head to Cleethorpes for a Northern Counties East League Premier Division clash.