Aldershot Town: Mark Molesley appointed manager after Danny Searle sacked

Mark Molesley was in charge of Southend United last season but was sacked in April with the club 23rd in League Two

Aldershot Town have appointed Mark Molesley as manager having sacked Danny Searle following a poor start to the National League season.

Molesley, 40, a former Aldershot midfielder, was previously in charge of Weymouth and Southend United.

He takes charge with the Shots third-from-bottom of the National League having lost five of their seven games.

Molesley will be assisted by former Aldershot manager Terry Brown and Tom Prodomo at the EBB Stadium.

"I'm delighted to be back at a club that is very close to my heart," he said.

"My dream came true when I became a professional footballer at this club and I would be lying if I never thought of going back to the club as a manager."

A former under-23s boss at Bournemouth, Molesley oversaw back-to-back promotions with Weymouth through the Southern League and National League South before he was appointed at Southend in August 2020.

But a difficult tenure at Roots Hall, with problems both on and off the pitch, saw him depart seven months later.

Searle departed Aldershot earlier on Monday after more than two years in charge and 18th and 15th-placed league finishes in the past two seasons.

He also led Aldershot to the FA Trophy quarter-finals last season but the Shots have struggled this term, losing their first five matches in succession before a 3-2 win at Southend earlier this month and a 2-2 draw at Wealdstone on Saturday.

His former assistant Anwar Uddin has also left following Molesley's appointment.