MARTIN CANNING has left his post as manager of Hamilton after the club announced his departure by mutual consent.

The former Accies player had been in charge of the Lanarkshire club since 2015, but had overseen a run of four successive defeats that sees them just two points ahead of bottom club St Mirren in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

Guillaume Beuzelin and George Cairns will take temporary charge of the first team.

A statement from chairman Allan Maitland said: "I confirm that our manager Martin Canning has left the club by mutual agreement and we will be advertising for a replacement.

"With the departure of so many important players over the last two seasons [such as Michael Devlin, Eamonn Brophy, Lewis Ferguson, Ali Crawford and Greg Docherty] it has become increasingly difficult to maintain the playing levels and results previously reached.

"Martin and the board feel that a change was necessary to give the club the best opportunity to get back to those levels."