John Yorkston, the Dunfermline Athletic chairman, insisted his club was left with no choice but to dismiss Jim McIntyre in a bid to stave off relegation to the first division.
The East End Park outfit last night parted company with the 39-year-old, with the Fifers four points adrift of Hibernian at the foot of the SPL.
Dunfermline have gone eight matches without a win and remain the only senior side in British football not to have picked up a home win this season.
Allied to their perilous league position, Yorkston cited falling attendances as another reason for McIntyre's dismissal.
He also confirmed that some members of the board had expressed a desire to sack the former Dundee United striker as early as Tuesday – and reaffirmed their position yesterday morning.
The club will begin the process of narrowing down candidates this weekend, with such as Jim Jefferies and Jimmy Calderwood already being mooted.
Yorkston said: "We took everything into consideration, but the main factors were the league position and the home record. We haven't managed a win at home, which is disappointing, and people are voting with their feet. We have to be conscious of that.
"The club is only four points behind with 24 still to play for – and the last five games will be against the bottom half, so it is doable."
Dunfermline's first move after sacking McIntyre was to send one of his January loan signings, the injury-prone goalkeeper Iain Turner, back to his parent club Preston North End.
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