COLWYN Bay caretaker boss Craig Hogg has paid tribute to departing manager Alan Morgan after he was relieved of his duties this weekend.

The Seagulls made the move for “economic reasons” after significant budget cuts due to the resignation of chairman Dave Titchiner, with Hogg agreeing to take over on a temporary basis as the board explore all available options in relation to a permanent successor at the Evo-stik League West Division side.

Morgan and Hogg have been a hugely successful duo at both Bay and Llandudno, where they oversaw a complete turnaround in fortunes at the Four Crosses Construction Area after their appointment last year, which resulted in the club narrowly missing out on a playoff berth.

They also led Llandudno to the JD Welsh Premier League for the first time in their history, which was swiftly followed by a third-place finish in their debut season and subsequent qualification to the Europa League, where they landed a landmark tie against Swedish giants IFK Goteborg.

Hogg, said: “Alan is friend of mine and we’ve been through a great deal together during the last seven years, experiencing some great times in the dugout and I’m sorry he and the club have parted ways.

“The board have asked me to assume the role of care taker manager, while they consider their position with respect to Alan’s successor. I have agreed to this and I’ve agreed to take charge of training and the upcoming games.

“Neil Coverley has agreed to remain at the club and I’ve promoted him to the role of assistant manager. Both he and I will continue to work very hard to make sure that the players are prepared for the games we face during the interim period.”