The Sarnies dropped to 19th place, with three defeats in the opening four games.

Lane took over in January after Chris Moore was dismissed with 19 league games left last season and recorded notable back-to-back victories over AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Hayes & Yeading United, while also suffering some heavy defeats.

A reasonable pre-season prefaced two defeats in the newly-constituted Bostik South Central before winning at Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Cobham in the Emirates FA Cup.

Collecting three points at home to Westfield seemed to signify improvement but it was the nature of the loss at Chalfont St Peter as much as the size of the scoreline and Lane’s statistical record that forced chairman Pat Bennett’s hand.

Whether it was the thought of playing within themselves in readiness for facing neighbours Staines Town next Saturday in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup or some other reason, this was a truly awful performance by those chosen to represent the club.

Regardless of the dismissal of the manager this was going to be a critical match report from the 54th minute, when the second goal went in and any hope of picking up points vanished into thin air.

Egham move on, and the new man in the hot-seat is Scott Cousins, who played once for the Sarnies in their 1-0 home reverse in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round at home to former club St Albans City in October 2016.

His history includes coaching at Hendon alongside Gary McCann.

Having started at Chelsea he moved on to Hendon, five seasons at St Albans City, one at Carshalton Athletic and then another eight at Hendon from where he was loaned for that one game for Egham.

A short stint at Edgware Town was followed by playing season 2017/18 at Beaconsfield Town.

In 2015 he became the most capped England player in the six-a-side Futsal format and is the current head coach.

He has also played Futsal for Helvecia, the most successful club in the game's history in England, and now plays for West London Futsal in the FA National Super League's top division.

Cousins takes over at a club at which the squad may scatter to the four corners of the local non-League game.

That the new boss is on holiday until Thursday exacerbates a problem to which is added a further twist; trying to sign players who, with a view to the Staines game, have not already played in the Extra Preliminary or Preliminary rounds.