Plymouth Argyle confirm sacking 17 days after Ryan Lowe's plea to old club and Preston North End win

Plymouth Argyle have sacked head coach Ian Foster and Director of Football, Neil Dewsnip, will take charge of the final six games - alongside coach Kevin Nancekivell.

Ex-England Under 20s boss, Foster, lasted 87 days and 14 league games in the hot seat at Home Park. Defeat to Bristol City on Easter Monday left the Pilgrims, who were promoted from League One last season, just one point above the relegation zone. Argyle lost Steven Schumacher to Stoke City, in December, and appointed Foster in early January.

The pressure was being piled on Plymouth's head coach, during PNE's 1-0 away win prior to the recent international break. There were loud calls from the home faithful for Foster to be relieved of his duties, during the match. That promoted Preston boss, Ryan Lowe, to send a message to his former club, in support of Foster.

He said: "Fozzy is a good guy and that's a tough job to follow Steven Schumacher, first and foremost, for what he did. Patience is key. He's a top man - I know him personally. He's a fantastic coach and it's just finding that solution to collect points. You don't go to Middlesbrough and win if you are not a good team. I get the frustration for the fans but please get behind him and stick with him. You are going to need him, he's not going anywhere.

"Tough times happen. I remember when I was here in League One we went through a tough time and people were probably calling for me at that time, and look what happened. They stayed with us and we did what we did - and I know Schuey went through tough times here. Please, please just stick with him, because he's a fantastic coach and he will take the club forward. All I would say to the Argyle fans and everyone associated is trust in his process..."

Argyle chairman, Simon Hallett said: "Ian was hired through a thorough and extensive recruitment process and his coaching credentials really stood out when making the appointment. But we have to balance long-term stability against short-term decisions, and we have given Ian as long as possible to see if results could improve. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case, and we feel now is the right time to make a change to give us the best chance of securing survival.

"The Green Army have been incredible in recent weeks, as ever, and we need you all now to continue that support as we embark on the final weeks of the campaign with Neil and Nance in charge. Together we can achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of the season. Everyone at Argyle would like to thank Ian for his tireless efforts during his time at the club and wish him well for the future."