League One club Preston North End have decided to sack manager Phil Brown.

Chairman Peter Risdale, who only recently took control of the club, revealed that a poor run of recent form contributed to the board's decision.

"Phil Brown joined the club in January 2011 with the objective of trying to ensure that we could maintain our status in the Championship division of the Football League," read a statement on the club's official website.

"Regrettably this did not happen and the club were relegated to League One.

"Following relegation we had hoped that we would be in a position to compete for an immediate return to the Championship but after a promising start we have only won one of our last 11 league games and we are out of all three cup competitions."

Brown, 52, had taken charge of 51 games during his spell at Deepdale.

Graham Alexander and David Unsworth have been put in temporary control of the squad.