BILLERICAY Town boss Matt Jones has sensationally been axed - just two weeks after taking the Ryman Premier club into their biggest game in nearly 30 years.

Just a fortnight ago Town met Football League opposition for the first time in a national competition in their 127-year history when they took on League One Swansea in front of a 2,300-plus crowd at New Lodge.

That tie saw Billericay put up a superb performance before losing 2-1 in a first round proper tie.

But the King Edmund School, Rochford, schoolteacher yesterday discovered that a fortnight can be a long time in the current world of soccer when he was informed by telephone that he was being relieved of his duties.

Jones's two assistants, former Town player Jason Broom and Grant Gordon, have been made joint caretaker managers and will take charge of the team for Wednesday's crunch league game at Northwood against Wealdstone.

The sad truth is that, as well as Town have been doing in national competitions this term - their FA Cup run earned them £21,000 in FA prize money alone - their league form has been less than satisfactory.

During that Cup run, Town went through a poor spell of four straight Ryman Premier defeats.

And, since the demise at the hands of the Welsh side, they have lost both league games played, admittedly at a time when their squad has been decimated by injuries to key players.

Jones issued a statement on being told of the news.

"It is with great regret and suprise that on Sunday morning the chairman telephoned me to relieve me of my duties as first team manager at Billericay Town FC," he said.

"The news has come as a shock to me personally as, since taking over as manager two years ago, we won our first trophy for 16 years, developed and sold two players to Football League clubs, missed out on promotion in the play-off final in a penalty shoot-out, and had the club's biggest game at New Lodge in the FA Cup in the club's 127-year history.

"At this point I would like to personally thank all the officials, management team and the players for their tremendous effort in taking the club forward on and off the pitch.

"However, I would like to give special thanks to the fans at Billericay Town who have given me personally massive support. They are indeed a special group of supporters.

"I wish them and all at Billericay Town all the very best for the future."

Jones added that there was little he wanted to add to his statement at this stage.

But he said: "The three-and-a-half years I spent at Billericay, first as Justin Edinburgh's assistant and then as manager from January 2006, have been great and I've really enjoyed them.

"These things happen in football.

"I would also like to say that I really appreciate the fantastic coverage the Echo have given the club during my time as manager.

"I believe the publicity we've had from this source has enhanced my own reputation in the game and that of the club as a whole."

Billericay have fallen well behind in league games due to their Cup run, but currently stand perilously second from bottom in the Premier table with six defeats in their last seven league games.

Billericay chairman Steve Kent could not be reached for comment yesterday and Jones's departure was announced to fans in a club statement on their website.