St Neots Town have got their man.

The Southern League Premier Division Central side have appointed Marc Abbott as their new boss.

Abbott, who has been player-manager of Step 5 side Haverhill Rovers, confirmed his decision to accept the Saints post on social media last night.

He will succeed Matt Clements, who now moves into a new role as director of football, and is expected to take charge for the first time at Tamworth this Saturday.

A statement from Abbott confirmed: “To be recognised as Matt’s replacement is an honour and to work closely with various highly regarded staff is a fantastic opportunity.

“Having been involved at Haverhill Rovers for the past 14 years and the connection that has been built over that time meant this decision has been one of the toughest I have experienced in my time in football.

“However, I have decided this opportunity is one that excites me as a coach at a club which has one of the best set-ups locally.

“I am very excited to start work at St Neots and cannot thank Haverhill Rovers enough for giving me such a positive first experience in management.”

Abbott has been in charge at Haverhill Rovers since November, 2017. He steered them to safety last season and has guided them into mid-table in the current campaign.

His experience of playing and managing at Step 5 is likely to prove valuable with Saints expected to take voluntary relegation to that level for next season.

Abbott revealed his decision to become Saints boss while the club were in action last night.

A new-look team – following the departures of six senior players - were being beaten 1-0 at promotion-chasing Biggleswade Town.

They were undone by an 82nd minute goal on a night when they performed well in the final game of Clements’ reign.

He handed a debut to 16 year-old scoring sensation Joe Rider and also included another member of the club’s Under 18 side, Jacob Joseph, for a first start.

Stevan Shaw and Leon Fuliantly both featured after being recalled from dual registration spells with lower-level clubs while the bench was made up entirely of youngsters.

Clements said: “I enjoyed every minute of the game and the young men, led by Matty Miles, were absolute class.

“There was obviously a lot of negativity ahead of the game so it was great to see a group of young, hungry and honest players play so positively.

“They deserve the highest praise for their performance and there is no doubt in my mind they deserved a point as well.

“It was a proud night in which to step down as manager after a tough week and it’s great to have Marc on board now.

“He has some great staff around him and an exciting platform to build on for the future.

“I’d urge all the true supporters to back him, give him time and judge him next season.”