York City have become the first National League North side to part company with their manager after sacking Martin Gray after just five games.

The Minstermen sit eighth in the table with two wins, one draw and two defeats from the opening five games and were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Curzon Ashton on Saturday.

But that result was unable to convince the Bootham Crescent hierarchy that former Darlington manager Gray was the man to lead them forward and they parted company with him over the weekend.

Assistant manager Sean Gregan has also left the club while youth team boss Sam Collins has been placed in temporary charge of the team while a successor is found.

Former Chester FC manager Jon McCarthy

There are already a number of names in the frame for the vacancy, with former Chester FC manager Jon McCarthy among them.

McCarthy, sacked as Chester boss in September last year, is currently number two to Liam Watson at Southport and remains a hugely popular figure at Bootham Crescent owing to his stint there as a player in the 1990s. He is at 33/1 with bookmakers BetVictor.

Among the front runners are former Doncaster Rovers boss Dave Penney (8/1), Paul Dickov (16/1), ex-Blackburn Rovers boss Owen Coyle (25/1) and one-time Chester City manager Keith Curle (25/1).

Adam Murray, who made the shortlist for the Chester job in the summer, and Liverpool Ladies boss Neil Redfearn, who had been offered the Blues post before turning it down, have both been linked with the post at York.