Eynesbury Rovers have been rocked by the sudden departure of their manager tonight.

The Hunts Post: Mark Ducket quit as Eynesbury Rovers manager last week. Picture: J BIGGS PHOTOGRAPHYMark Ducket quit as Eynesbury Rovers manager last week. Picture: J BIGGS PHOTOGRAPHY (Image: Archant)

Mark Ducket has left the Hall Road hotseat to become boss of higher-level Bedford Town - a club where he enjoyed two spells as a player.

Ducket had been in the Eynesbury post since November 2015 and led them to four successive top-seven finishes in the United Counties League Premier Division.

The club then made a sideways switch into the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division last summer and Ducket departs with Rovers sitting sixth in the standings.

Ducket also guided Rovers to Hunts Senior Cup glory in 2016/17 when they beat higher-level neighbours St Neots Town in the final.

And he led them on a best-ever run to the fourth round of the FA Vase, which was ended by a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat to Leighton Town last Saturday, this season.

That proved to be his final match in charge with Ducket's appointment at Bedford announced tonight - only hours after the departure of the Eagles' previous boss, Nathan Abbey.

Rovers chairman Matt Plumb said: "I was told at 8.20pm this evening by Mark that he had accepted the job at Bedford Town and would be leaving Eynesbury.

"I don't mind admitting it has come as a bit of a shock to us - and at a time when we are all very busy dealing with the aftermath of the issues at the FA Vase game on Saturday.

"Mark has done an excellent job in his time with us and we're obviously disappointed to see him go, but at the same time we respect his decision to move to a club at a higher-level.

"We certainly won't rush into appointing a new manager. It's all about maintaining some stability over the next couple of weeks while we consider our options."

Assistant manager Ash Fuller will take charge of Rovers for the foreseeable future along with former Mildenhall Town manager Dean Greygoose, whose son Jamie is the Rovers goalkeeper.