HUGELY successful boss Peter Leonard stunned Girvan FC when he resigned on Friday to take over the vacant hotseat at Premier Division rivals Cumnock.

And the Hamilton Park club admitted being "disappointed" that their manager was moving on after three years in charge.

The double title-winning boss, who won Girvan successive promotions to the top flight, takes over from John McKeown, who left Townhead Park "by mutual consent" a week past on Sunday.

Girvan FC issued a statement, confirming the news on Sunday night.

The boss has been joined at Townhead Park by his coaches Chris Flannigan and Gerry Phillips.

It read: "The committee, players and fans are shocked and disappointed that Peter has left to go to Cumnock FC, however he has done a tremendous job at Girvan FC over the last two and a half years, winning back to back league titles and promotion.

"We want to wish him and his backroom staff well at their new club. We can’t than him enough for what he has done for the club and the town putting both on the junior football map.

"Laurie Dinwoodie has been put in charge as caretaker manager and will be helped by Steven McNally until a new manager is appointed

Leonard said: "I have really enjoyed my time at Girvan and had the opportunity to work with a fantastic committee. Winning promotion to the Premier at Yoker was the highlight of my time at the club.

"The Cumnock job is a massive one and this is the kind of opportunity which may not come around again."

The new boss hopes to improve his new team's fortunes after the 6-0 home defeat against Beith and said: "The heads seem to go down after the first goal but hopefully I can help push them up the table."

The new boss faces a baptism of fire on Saturday as his team face Auchinleck Talbot at Beechwood Park.

He said: "Tommy Sloan has a very good team but we must show we can compete with them. And it doesn't get easier as we have a tough tie against Craigmark in the Scottish Cup the following week then face Girvan."

Meanwhile Leonard feels Dinwoodie would be a good choice for the job on a permanent basis.

He said: "Lawrie was manager and I was assistant when Maybole won the District League in 2012 and I think he could do a good job as manager at Girvan, he knows a lot of the players."

* Applicants are being invited for the post of team manager, interested parties can send us there cv and a copy of their coaching certificates to gfcmanagerapplicants@gmail.com closing date is this coming Friday, October 20.