Chairman Lee Power takes temporary charge of Swindon Town

Swindon Town chairman Lee Power has taken temporary charge of first-team affairs after he sacked Mark Cooper on Saturday.

The County Ground outfit lie 20th in League One after just three wins in 13 matches so far this season and they are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Cooper's two-and-a-half year reign ended with a 2-0 defeat to Millwall which left the team without a win in eight games, with all bar one of those ending in defeat.

Having sacked the man who guided Swindon to last season's League One play-off final at Wembley, Power has now started the search for a replacement.

In the meantime, he will lead the squad Cooper has left behind rather than task someone else with doing it.

Power won't be the club's next permanent boss, however, and is hopeful of naming a new man at the helm before the end of the month.

A statement on the club's official website said: "The football club would like to place on record their thanks to Mark for his outstanding work ethic and commitment to the job.

"Mark did a fantastic job which culminated in the club reaching the League One Play-Off Final last season. 

"Unfortunately, performances and results this term have not been as good as the club had hoped for with the current squad. 

"The chairman, Lee Power, thought it was time to make a change and informed Mark of his decision on Saturday night after the defeat at Millwall. 

"Lee will take temporary charge of the team but will definitely not be the club's next permanent manager. 

"The club have already started drawing up a shortlist and plan to have a manager in place by the end of the month.