Danny Laws is happy to fill the role of caretaker manager, at AFC Sudbury, for as “long as it takes” before a permanent replacement for David Batch is found.

Danny Laws is happy to fill the role of caretaker manager, at AFC Sudbury, for as “long as it takes” before a permanent replacement for David Batch is found.

The experienced Laws, who is in charge of the reserves and under-21s at Sudbury, as well as being behind the planned new academy, took control of the first team for the 1-0 defeat at Needham Market on New Year’s Day.

Sudbury ended that match with nine men, following red cards for Craig Pope and Lee Flynn, but still looked to be heading for a battling point until Sam Newson popped up with an injury-time winner.

Laws will again be at the helm for this afternoon’s home game against Ware (kick-off 3pm).

“It’s a case of going from match-to-match with me,” explained Laws.

“The chairman was not at the Needham game anyway, and I don’t know what’s happening with regards finding a replacement.

“But it’s a wonderful job for somebody, at a wonderful football club full of very like-minded and ambitious people, football people. “I want to put that on record.

“My phone has been ringing a few times with queries, and whoever comes in and takes the job is going to enjoy it, without a shadow of a doubt,

“If you’re thinking about moving to a big club, my advice is to pick up the phone and get yourself involved.

“My job is obviously as a reserves and under-21s manager, brought to the club by David Batch.

“I’m also taking on the project of setting our academy up, which will be up and running in 2015.

“That’s something the club is determined to bring to fruition, which I will do.

“At this stage, it’s going to be very difficult to run a first team to the intensity that is required, and still bring that project to fruition.

“The aim is for me to come in and steady the ship, like any reserve team manager would do, to get as many points as I can, and then the club will seek to find a replacement.

“If it takes longer than it has to, then I’m more than happy to stay as caretaker.”

Sudbury are currently tenth in Ryman North, one place behind today’s visitors Ware, on the same number of points. Both clubs are nursing hopes of making the play-offs.

Laws continued: “Our luck ran out in the end at Needham Market.

“But if the players show the same application and the same desire, and there is obviously enough quality in the dressing room, then I’m sure we can reverse that defeat, starting with the home game against Ware.

“That will be my second game, unless something happens in the mean time.”

n AFC Sudbury general manager Richard Instance told the EADT yesterday that the club’s board was in no rush to appoint Batch’s successor and said Laws’ pedigree was the reason for that. He said: “We have had a couple of CVs arrive this morning and as a board we will be sitting down at the end of next week and deciding where we want to go. We are very fortunate to have someone of Danny Laws’ calibre to step in and he is happy to do that.

“We have not had a conversation (about taking the first-team manager’s job permanently) and I think he is pretty committed to the work he is doing with our youth and academy set-up.”