STEWART GILMOUR, the St Mirren chairman, described Tommy Craig as one of the best coaches the club has ever had only hours after the 64-year-old was sacked having overseen just 19 games in charge.

Gilmour also defended the decision to appoint Craig in the first place, a move which was criticised at the time because he had been assistant manager to Danny Lennon who was dismissed at the end of a poor season.

The player/coach Gary Teale and the club's head of youth development, David Longwell, will be in charge on an interim basis and are likely to take the team against Celtic at Parkhead on Sunday given that no appointment is imminent. Jim Goodwin is no longer part of the coaching team after yesterday and, after several disciplinary problems this season, he will revert to being only a player.

Gilmour will work on finding another manager while away on a long foreign holiday. Current St Mirren striker Steven Thompson, Billy Stark, Kenny Shiels, Derek Adams and Barry Smith were all quickly linked with the position within hours of Craig being dismissed.

"It is regrettable any time a manager leaves the club," said Gilmour. "Unfortunately it was the results. We are in a results business and we're not producing results, it's as simple as that. We had great confidence in Tommy. He is one of the best coaches I've ever seen working at St Mirren.

"He was given the opportunity to try and do it and regrettably - and I mean that, because he has been a pleasure to work with - it has not worked out. I know the kind of guy he is: he's straightforward, you can work with him, it's an honest conversation because he is an honest guy.

"I don't know why it hasn't worked out. I wish I did know. He was part of a very good team and he will always be remembered him and Danny for our day in 2013. He always conducted himself in the right manner around the club, and with people."

Gilmour was asked on BBC Radio Scotland if it had been a mistake to have appointed Craig in May. "No, I don't think so; we were pretty convinced. People think we didn't look at other applications. Of course we did; we have a responsibility to look at things like that. But we honestly thought that Tommy could take the club forward."

Craig arrived at the club's training ground this morning and broke the news to the players that after a meeting with the board he was leaving the club. Craig joined St Mirren in 2011 and was part of Lennon's backroom team when they won the 2013 League Cup. In his 19 games in charge he won only three and lost 12.

Chronic problems at both ends of the pitch - they have not kept a clean sheet all season and have scored only 13 goals in all competitions - accelerated St Mirren to crisis point. They are out of the Scottish Cup and are off the foot of the SPFL Premiership only on goal difference.

Craig's poor signings, and injuries to key men including Thompson, badly hampered an inexperienced squad and eroded the supporters' confidence to the point that today's departure was unavoidable.