MARTIN Allen has been sacked by Eastleigh after just 14 league and cup games in charge - with Richard Hill returning as director of football.

Hill will look after the team in the short term assisted by Ben Strevens, Craig McAllister and Lee Peacock.

A statement released by the Spitfires in the last few minutes said: "Eastleigh Football Club can today confirm that, following the club’s home reverse to Macclesfield Town on Tuesday evening, a resultant meeting with First Team Manager Martin Allen has this morning seen his contract terminated with immediate effect.

"The club would like to take this opportunity to thank Martin for his efforts during his time with the club and wish him well for the future.

"Further announcements will be made in due course when applicable."

Allen - the Spitfires' third manager of a disastrous Vanamara National League season - has overseen just one league victory since arriving from Barnet at the beginning of December.

Eastleigh, who began the season with high hopes of promotion, have yet to win in 2017 and have slipped to 15th in the table.

They lost 1-0 at home to Macclesfield Town last night - their third home defeat in the space of eight dismal days.

The 51-year-old, who guided Barnet to the 2014/15 National League title, lasted just 84 days in the Silverlake hotseat, having failed to win a single home game.

His only two victories as Eastleigh manager were at Halifax Town in the FA Cup and at Boreham Wood in the league on New Year’s Eve.

He was bemused by the Spitfires inablility to perform on home soil and admitted after last night’s Macclesfield defeat that he “was not enjoying it.”

Spitfires supporters were not exactly thrilled either, with another smattering of boos ringing round the ground at the final whistle.

Not only were many fans deeply disappointed with results and performances, but they were choked that Allen’s huge clearout of established players had seen crowd favourites Michael Green and Jai Reason shown the door.

Their departures followed shortly after Joe Partington, Luke Coulson and Mikael Mandron had been sold to Football League clubs.

Following last night's defeat, which left the slip-sliding Spitfires nine points above the relegation zone, Allen publicly laid into his players for the first time.

Alluding to his predecessor Ronnie Moore, he said: “They (the players) weren’t happy when the previous manager stood in front of the media and said they were gutless.

"I've stood back and watched some games here, watched our team play, and it's been awful, it's been nowhere near good enough.

"It's not acceptable to me, it's not acceptable to the chairman.

"Some of these players are coming to the end of their contracts and they're coming in my office and telling me they should be playing. Well I think they should have a good hard look at themselves because that (performance) is nowhere near what I've been used to this last few years.

"I've had two clubs win championships, with Gillingham and at Barnet, and it's been through hard work, desire and everybody in the team competing week in, week out. I'm not getting that here at the moment and I'm not enjoying it.

"I haven't got the vibe. I love the place, I love working with the chairman, I love the atmosphere when the crowd do get behind the players, but the players haven't given the crowd anything to lift them."