Bristol Rovers boss Taylor becomes latest League One casualty

Bristol Rovers have confirmed that manager Matt Taylor and assistant Wayne Carlisle have been “relieved of their first team duties”.

Taylor took charge at the Memorial Stadium last December following a stint at Rotherham in the Championship.

The Gas decided that a change was required following a poor run of results, which left them 20th in the table and a couple of points above the drop zone.

Rovers were beaten 2-0 at Birmingham over the weekend after goals from Lee Buchanan and Jay Stansfield – their third successive defeat in the league.

David Horseman will take interim charge of the side along with Lee Cattermole, who joined the coaching department last week following a playing career with the likes of Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

The club say they will now carry out a “thorough recruitment process” to determine Taylor’s permanent successor.

An official statement read: “The club would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Matt and Wayne for all their hard work during their time with Bristol Rovers, and we wish them both every success in their respective future careers.

“David Horseman and Lee Cattermole will take interim responsibility for first-team football duties while the club undertakes a thorough recruitment process for a new first-team manager.”

Rovers have another tough test this weekend when they welcome third-place Wrexham to the Memorial Stadium.

Meanwhile, former Wanderers midfielder Gary O’Neil was sacked by Premier League club Wolves on Sunday.

O’Neil gained plaudits for the job he did at Molineux last season, guiding the club to a 14th-place finish in the top flight.

However, they have only won twice in the league this term and find themselves five points adrift in the drop zone.

“We’re very grateful to Gary for all of his effort, dedication and hard work during his time at the club and we wish him and his team the best of luck for the future,” chairman Jeff Shi told the club site.