FOLLAND Sports have parted company with manager Jay Keating after less than three months and replaced him with Kevin Jackson as head coach.

Keating is the second local non-League manager in a matter of days to have lost his job before so much as taking a league game in charge.

Earlier this week Southern League outfit Bashley announced the departure of ex-Chelsea defender Dave Stride after just 40 days at the helm.

Poole-based Keating lasted slightly longer, having been appointed in early May following the departure of Danny Bowers and Dave Lewis.

Keating, 40, left his job with Dorchester Town’s reserves to join the Planemakers and pledged to give young players a platform to parade their skills in the Sydenhams Premier Division.

But there was growing concern within the club that his signings were too young to handle the physicality of the Wessex League.

Follands secretary Adrian Harris said: “Jay is very enthusiastic and we thank him for all the effort he made.

“But after eight weeks (of pre-season) we didn’t feel such a very, very young team was right for the club.

“When it came to the thick of the Wessex League, we felt these young lads would struggle and we had to make changes before it was too late.

“We feared these boys would have taken a few hidings and we didn’t want them to.”

Jackson, a vastly experienced football man, joined Follands around a month ago at the invitation of coach Marc Scrimaglia.

He coached and scouted at Swindon Town before continuing his football education in the USA with the Vogelsinger Soccer Academy.

A qualified sports therapist and UEFA-Licence coach, Jackson worked with AFC Bournemouth's school of excellence and, 18 months later, linked up with Malcolm Elias at Southampton before ill health forced him out of the game for two years.

More recently he has coached at youth/reserve level for Christchurch, Poole Town and Hamworthy United.

Jackson has used his links with Poole to fix up a Saturday (August 1) friendly at Tatnam. On Monday the Planemakers will host a Gosport Borough XI at Follands Park (7.30pm).