Anthony Hudson departs as Newport County manager

Anthony Hudson's Newport County have won just once in the league this season

Newport County have confirmed they have parted company with manager Anthony Hudson after just 19 games in charge at the Blue Square Bet Premier club.

Hudson, who succeeded Dean Holdsworth as full-time Exiles boss in April, departs with County in the relegation zone after failing to win his last 10 games.

Hudson's assistant Lee Harrison will take temporary charge of County with help from player-coach Wayne Hatswell.

"It is a results business," County chairman Chris Blight told BBC Wales.

"We find ourselves in the unenviable position of being bottom but one.

"And we need to make sure we not only stay in this league but put matters right. We have high ambitions.

"You must be respective of where you are but I think we are a club that advertises the fact that we like to give any manager that comes into our club any tool to put in his box to be able to help him with the job that he has got in hand.

"Any manager is obviously aware of the desires of what the football club want."

The Welsh club were hoping for a play-off push this season but County are in the bottom two as Hudson's men have won just once in the league.

Blight had apologised to County fans following their fourth successive defeat at Mansfield on 10 September when the chairman admitted their performance at Field Mill "isn't acceptable".

But Hudson insisted following County's 1-1 draw at Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday that his side had "turned the corner" after their third successive draw.

However, Newport and Hudson, who had initially signed a one-year deal in April, parted company "as a result of discussions" between Blight and the former Tottenham Hotspur coach.

And after just 12 games of the new season, the Spytty Park club are searching for their sixth manager in nine years.

"It is not just the last three games," said Blight.

"Everything has to be taken into consideration.

"We are a quarter of the way through the season and to be where we are, to Newport County Football Club is not what we expected or anticipated."

Hudson had a tough managerial act to follow in the Newport hotseat as he succeeded Holdsworth, following his departure to League Two Aldershot Town.

The former Premier League player guided County to promotion into the Blue Square Bet Premier as they won the Blue Square South by a record 100 points and subsequently inspired them into the Premier play-offs.