Ling had been one of the longest-serving bosses in the Football League

Leyton Orient have parted company with manager Martin Ling and assistant boss Dean Smith by mutual consent after the 2-1 defeat by Bristol Rovers.

The loss was their fifth consecutive defeat and eighth game without a win, to leave them 21st in League One.

Ling had been in charge of Orient since September 2003, and led them to promotion from League Two in 2006.

Youth team boss Kevin Nugent will take caretaker charge as the O's look to make an appointment within two weeks.

606: DEBATE I'm extremely grateful for Ling to have gained us promotion, but he had taken us as far as he could Hope4theOs

He had been the sixth longest-serving of the 92 Premier and Football League managers.

After Saturday's match, he told BBC London 94.9: "We will find any way we can to lose a game at the moment.

"It's like a death wish - how can we chuck this game away? You've got to dig deep because it hurts.

"It hurts the lads in there and it's hurting me at the moment - we do see to throw away a winning position at the drop of a hat."

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