Dryden joined Worcester City in December 2007

Manager Richard Dryden has been sacked by Blue Square South strugglers Worcester City.

The club's chairman Anthony Hampson said results had not been good enough and the 1-1 home FA Trophy draw with Carshalton was the tipping point.

"We are very near the relegation zone and we are not happy with the results," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"Tonight's [Monday's] 1-1 draw in a very important game will affect the cash-flow of the club."

Dryden's former assistant Carl Heeley, who played over 500 games for the club, will take over for the rest of the season.

Dryden was clearly not aware of his fate, as he told BBC Hereford & Worcester he was looking ahead to the game against Weymouth on Saturday.

We have discussed it with Richard and he has agreed to take his severance pay over a period of time Worcester chairman Anthony Hampson

And he accused some of his players of lacking fitness.

"There are one or two people who have been singled out for not putting in a proper shift, and I questioned how one of two of them had kept fit over the last few weeks," he said.

Chairman Hampson says the game against Carshalton was the final straw.

"Richard was well aware we needed a performance against Carshalton, and a 1-1 draw in a situation where we needed the money is not good enough.

"We are in a dog-fight in the relegation zone, and frankly we need to turn these games around and take the points, and that is what Richard could not deliver for us."

Cash-strapped Worcester will now have to pay their former manager's contract until the end of the season but Hampson says they have come to an agreement with him.

"We have discussed it with Richard and he has agreed to take his severance pay over a period of time," he added.

"We are happy to discuss this with him and we are prepared to negotiate."

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