Lee Chappell, Sam Corcoran and Ben Martin have had their St Albans City contracts terminated with immediate effect in a move manager Ian Allinson has defined as a need to 'redefine' his squad.

The Saints have been in terrible form in 2017, and have won only one of their last 13 games in all competitions.

Such an alarming drop in form, from which St Albans sat second in the National League South late last year, has seen Allinson take drastic action to avert the club's decline with nine games of the league season remaining.

Chappell had made 31 league appearances for the Saints during this campaign, while Martin had made another 22 - although Corcoran had appeared only five times for Allinson's side.

The move will send some shockwaves through the St Albans squad and has come totally out of the blue ahead of this weekend's home game with Ebbsfleet United, and may indicate just how desperate Allinson has become in his persuit of a winning formula at Clarence Park.

The manager told the club website: "I would like to thank Lee, Sam and Ben for their services to the club during my time here and even before that as I know all three of them were involved in the promotion to the National League South.

I’m looking to reshape my squad as we enter the final nine games of the season and with this in mind I had some tough decisions to make."

Tomorrow, second-placed Ebbsfleet United visit Clarence Park in another tough game for Allinson's men in their persuit of finally getting their league season back on track.