CIRENCESTER Town chairman Steve Abbley admits that John Brough’s U-turn after agreeing to become Cirencester Town manager has cost him ‘a week to 10 days’ in his pursuit of a replacement for Brian Hughes.

Brough, the boss of North Leigh who play a division below Cirencester, had agreed a two-year deal to move to the Corinium Stadium before changing his mind with a midnight email to Abbley in Dubai on Saturday.

And Abbley’s frustrations grew when caretaker boss Jody Bevan – another of the chairman’s three favoured candidates – also ‘excused himself’ from the race over the weekend.

“I had agreed a two-year deal with John and we would have announced him as manager earlier but we had to go through the correct protocols as his chairman at North Leigh has been away for a few days.

“John said he would prefer not to resign immediately after last Saturday’s game and wanted to speak to his chairman properly when he was back on Sunday.

“I got a long email saying how much he was looking forward to coming on board. So it was a surprise 12 hours later when I received another email – at 3am in Dubai where I was visiting my daughter – to say he’d had second thoughts.

“His change of heart is not totally unexpected. When you speak to someone who is already in work you are in danger of being gazumped and I wasn’t prepared to raise my offer.

“And John did say that there were only two current Cirencester Town players who would get into his North Leigh team.”

Jody Bevan will again be in caretaker charge when Cirencester, who lost 3-0 to Chesham on Saturday and dropped to 23rd in the division, travel to Basingstoke on Tuesday night.

But the club stalwart insists he does not now want the job full time.

“Jody and I talked on Saturday and he said how much trouble he was having bringing players in and that he felt the job should go to someone with a bit more experience,” said Abbley.

Former Cheltenham captain Matt Taylor, 34, and younger than both Charlie Griffin and James Mortimer-Jones in the Ciren squad, remains a favoured option to take the role.

Taylor who runs the senior football team at Hartpury College, along with being a player/coach at National League South club Bath City, impressed in his interview with Abbley.

But the chairman revealed there is a new hat in the ring.

“I am speaking to one further candidate this week; he too is in work," he said.

“As was the case with John Brough, my appointment will be given a two-year deal, as staying up this season will be tough enough, given the position we are in. 

“We will set some more ambitious targets next season.”