PERSHORE Town scooped the accolade of best-kept secret in non-league football by announcing their new manager five days after his first match at the helm.

Ex-Malvern Town boss Les Jones took over last Thursday and hastily put together a side for Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Bridgnorth Town in the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division.

Jones was approached by the rock-bottom club’s trustees who have taken charge at King George V Playing Fields after chairman Daniel Parvin and three other committee members stood down last month.

To the best of Jones’s knowledge, predecessor Paul Harris resigned last week but nothing official has come out of the club as to how or why he stood down or whether he remains with Pershore in any capacity.

Jones explained the change had been no big secret – it was just that no one at the club had access to its Twitter feed!

“They only had access to the account today (Thursday) but I don’t know the full circumstances,” said Jones.

“I was asked if I could take over and wanted to take the opportunity to pick up Pershore and prepare them to be more successful.

“We went straight into Saturday’s game and have been working hard to bolster the ranks ahead of a daunting game against top-of-the-table Black Country Rangers (Saturday, 3pm).

“I met most of the people on Saturday but my focus was on the game and since then it has been about strengthening the squad.”

Jones has been busy, signing ex-Malvern trio Jamie Smith, Joe Endacott and Ryan Pugh with former Highgate United forward Nick Seabourne and Joel Hobbs also drafted in.

It comes after a baptism of fire for the new gaffer and trusted right-hand man Derek Doyle at Bridgnorth.

“We had only been in charge 48 hours, had our goalkeeper sent off and then our centre-forward dislocated his shoulder so we were down to nine men for the last 15 minutes,” said Jones.

“Even then we managed to miss a penalty so could have got back into it. Still, it was much improved because we had let in 36 goals in eight league matches before that.

“The objective is stay in the league first of all and then move up with the aim of being a top-five side next season.”

Harris was unavailable for comment.