Rushden and Diamonds

Diamonds part company with Hart
Rushden & Diamonds have parted company with manager Paul Hart by mutual consent, reports SSB. Hart joined the Diamonds in the summer to replace Barry Hunter following the club's relegation from the League and was working without a contract. Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Northwich, who had not won a home game all season, stretched their winless run in the Conference to eight games. Coach Ian Woan and assistant manager Ian Bowyer have also left Nene Park. \"We are sorry to part company with Paul and his team,\" chairman Helen Thompson told the club website. \"Paul has brought in some excellent players to the club and instilled a high degree of professionalism. \"However this is a results-orientated business and realistically the results have not been good enough. \"It is our wish to be challenging for a play-off place position this season but this has not been the case and we currently find ourselves in the wrong end of the league, which is unacceptable. \"The board therefore felt it necessary to make a change.\" Rushden hope to appoint a caretaker manager in time for their next game at Weymouth on Saturday.

Godden handed caretaker-boss role
Rushden have appointed Tony Godden as caretaker-manager at Nene Park. Godden, 50, takes on the role following the exit of Paul Hart, assistant-boss Ian Bowyer and coach Ian Woan. Godden, whose playing career included spells with Chelsea, Birmingham and West Brom, had been the club's goalkeeping coach. He will be assisted by club captain Dave Savage and team captain Chris Hope as Rushden draw up a shortlist of candidates for the job.

Weymouth v Rushden & D'monds
Weymouth have fitness doubts over midfielder Nick Crittenden (hamstring) and Ross Carmichael (back) who missed out against Southport last weekend. Steve Tully and Simon Weatherstone returned in that game, and have been working on their fitness all week. Rushden caretaker boss Tony Godden has the fillip of a full-strength squad after Wayne Hatswell and Chris Hope were passed fit. Defender Glenn Wilson has fully recovered from a thigh injury.

Weymouth 1-1 Rushden & D'monds
Weymouth came from behind to maintain their unbeaten home record with a draw against Rushden & Diamonds. Rushden took the lead midway through the first half when Tyrone Berry's cross was converted by Lee Tomlin. But Weymouth levelled when the ball broke to Ben Smith from Dean Howell's corner and he drilled it home. Rushden's Simeon Jackson spurned the best opportunity either side had to win it when his rising drive after 48 minutes was saved by Aaron Lee-Barrett. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weymouth: Lee-Barrett, Tully, O'Brien, Vickers, El Kholti, Elam, Weatherstone, Smith, Howell (Wilkinson 80), Logan (Purser 75), Eribenne (Nade 32). Subs Not Used: Matthews, Tindall. Goals: Smith 36. Rushden & D'monds: Eyre, Wilson, Hope, Hatswell, Watson, Berry, Savage, Ashton, Kelly (Shaw 84), Jackson, Tomlin (Chillingworth 65). Subs Not Used: Rigby, Tynan, Callum Reynolds. Booked: Ashton. Goals: Tomlin 21. Att: 2,148. Ref: G Ward (Kent).

Fortune-West set to stay at Gulls
Torquay boss Ian Atkins hopes to extend striker Leo Fortune-West's loan at the club into a second month. The Rushden & Diamonds man has yet to score in five appearances but Atkins is happy with the 35-year-old's form. \"It's taken him a week or two, but he's settled in now,\" he told the Evening Herald. \"It's showing in his play and I'm glad he's staying.\" Atkins also hopes to tie up a loan deal for Southampton's Welsh Under-21 international defender Kyle Critchell. Critchell trained again with United on Wednesday and the club plan to sign him on loan now and then review the situation when the transfer window opens in January.

Teenager Tomlin praised by Savage
Rushden & Diamonds club captain Dave Savage feels teenager striker Lee Tomlin possesses a rare talent. Tomlin, 17, scored against Altrincham on Saturday, that followed up his first league strike at Weymouth and a hat-trick in the FA Youth Cup. Savage told SSB: \"You have to get him off the training ground as he stays out when we've finished. \"It was very difficult for him when he wasn't playing because he has ability and he knows what he is capable of.\" Savage added: \"I'm sure at times he felt he could come into the side and do well. \"When Tony Godden took over he had no hesitation in playing him.\"

Rushden & D'monds v Dag & Red
Rushden & Diamonds' Jon Ashton is doubtful with a knee injury sustained against Altrincham. Lee Tomlin picked up an injury in training and is doubtful but Leo Fortune-West has been recalled from his loan spell at Torquay and could play. Dagenham & Redbridge duo Tim Cole (dead leg) and Lee Goodwin (twisted knee) are the only injury concerns. Daggers manager John Still is expected to field the same team that lost to Oxford in the FA Cup last week.

Rushden & D'monds 2-3 Dag & Red
Craig Mackail-Smith was Dagenham's hero as they battled to victory at Rushden. Rushden went ahead after 53 seconds when Marcus Kelly headed home, but Dagenham were quickly level when Mackail-Smith volleyed home. He then set up Paul Benson to put Dagenham ahead, but the latter then handled in the box after 41 minutes and Paul Watson scored from the spot. But in first-half injury time, Mackail-Smith headed in Sam Sloma's cross for what proved to be the winner. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rushden & D'monds: Eyre, Wilson, Hope, Hatswell, Watson, Berry, Savage, Ben Sedgemore (Shaw 81), Kelly (Chillingworth 85), Tomlin, Jackson. Subs Not Used: Tynan, Fortune-West, Grainger. Booked: Ben Sedgemore, Kelly, Tomlin. Goals: Kelly 1, Watson 41 pen. Dag & Red: Roberts, Foster , Blackett, Uddin, Griffiths, Saunders (Akurang 87), Southam, Rainford, Sloma, Mackail-Smith, Benson. Subs Not Used: Hogan, Cole, Lettejallow, Bruce. Booked: Southam. Goals: Mackail-Smith 6, Benson 10, Mackail-Smith 45. Att: 2,039. Ref: G Horwood (Gravesend).

Rushden v Yeovil
Rushden & Diamonds caretaker manager Tony Godden can pick from a full squad. Defenders Jon Ashton and Wayne Hatswell and midfielder Andrew Rigby are expected to shake off niggles, while Lee Tomlin and Tom Shaw are fit again. Injury-hit Yeovil are expected to employ full-back Anthony Tonkin as an emergency central defender Skipper Terry Skiverton and centre-back Scott Guyett are ruled out. Marcus Stewart and Martin Brittain, both at Yeovil on loan, are unavailable.

Rushden take time to appoint boss
Rushden and Diamonds chairman Helen Thompson says the board is taking its time in picking a new manager. She said: \"We haven't rushed into a decision as it is not just about moving the club away from where we are but also about building to the next level. \"We are also looking for someone who can get stuck in straight away and start putting some points on the board,\" Thompson told the club website. Caretaker manager Tony Godden has been in charge since Paul Hart was sacked.

Godden calls for manager decision
Tony Godden believes Saturday's game was his last in charge as Rushden and Diamonds caretaker boss. The Conference club are expected to announce the names of a new manager and an investor at Nene Park this week. Godden told SSB: \"I have said to the board that the situation has to be sorted out this week one way or the other. \"If it's me or anyone else who gets the job it needs to be done now. If someone new comes in I'll support them.\"

Rushden & D'monds v Aldershot
Rushden caretaker-boss Tony Godden will carry on \"for the foreseeable future\" and he has just one injury concern. Jon Ashton is continuing to struggle with a knee injury, but Dan Grainger is back after a bout of Tonsillitis. Aldershot will be without Andy Edwards (ankle) and fellow defender David Winfield (broken toe), as well as Mark Pritchard (ankle). Marcus Gayle and Mark Molesley are both rated as 50/50 for the trip to Nene Park after picking up knocks.

Daish turns down Diamonds talks
Gravesend & Northfleet boss Liam Daish has rejected the chance to talk to managerless Conference rivals Rushden & Diamonds Fleet chairman Jason Botley is determined to hold on to his manager. \"This is a positive reflection of Liam's performance - I am not surprised other clubs are taking an interest in him,\" Botley told the club website. \"However we have no wish to see Liam leave and I know Liam feels the same way. This is the end of the matter.\"

FA Trophy first round details
The 24 Conference National clubs enter the FA Trophy at the first-round stage on Saturday, joining the 40 surviving clubs from the qualifying rounds. One match has already fallen victim to the weather - with the tie between Conference North sides Barrow and Worcester City postponed. With the pitch at Holker Street already waterlogged, it will now be played on Tuesday, 19 December at 1945 GMT. The winners of each first-round tie will receive £4,000. FIRST-ROUND FIXTURES/RESULTS Saturday, 16 December: Aldershot Town v AFC Wimbledon Altrincham v Tamworth Bishop's Stortford v St Albans Braintree Town v Ashford Town Dagenham & Redbridge v Crawley Town Exeter City v Heybridge Swifts Farnborough Town v Bath City Forest Green Rovers v Yeading Gateshead v Burton Albion Halifax Town v Hyde United Harrogate Town v Leigh RMI Havant & Waterlooville v Gravesend & Northfleet Histon v Cambridge United Kettering Town v Stafford Rangers Kidderminster Harriers v Vauxhall Motors Lewes v Oxford United Mangotsfield v King's Lynn Morecambe v York City Newport County v AFC Sudbury Northwich Victoria v Farsley Celtic Nuneaton Borough v Redditch Rushden & Diamonds v Scarborough Salisbury City v Woking Southport v Droylsden Stalybridge Celtic v Hinckley United Stevenage Borough v Merthyr Tydfil Welling United v Basingstoke Town Weston-super-Mare v Evesham Weymouth v Grays Athletic Woodley Sports v Witton Albion Sunday, 17 December Fisher Athletic v Eastbourne Borough Tuesday, 19 December Barrow v Worcester City

Rushden name new assistant boss
New Rushden and Diamonds boss Graham Westley has appointed former Luton Town defender John Dreyer as his assistant. Dreyer, 43, previously spent a spell working with Westley on the coaching staff at Stevenage Borough. Westley told Rushden's website: \"He impressed me a lot. He has vast experience and great connections.\" Dreyer also played for Oxford, Stoke and Bradford before ending his playing career with Stevenage, where he also had a stint as caretaker-manager.

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