ANDY Mole has made a dramatic return to Causeway United as manager following the resignation of Richard Colwell.

Mole was only appointed boss at Cradley Town on December 8 but has walked out on the Hammers after just 32 days in charge, returning to the club where he spent 16 years in various capacities, most recently assistant boss.

It follows the resignation of Colwell on Monday after five months in charge, with the club sitting 18th in the Midland Alliance.

Mole was contaced by Causeway chairman Carl Burley and said he had no hesitation in accepting the job, informing Cradley of his decision late on Tuesday night.

He said: “I didn’t have to think at all if I’m being honest, even though it is tough on Cradley.

“Causeway is the job I wanted from the start. It is my club, I know all of the players.

“Obviously I have been on the outside looking in for a while now. The club is not where it should be in the league and we have to change that.”

Mole left Causeway after being overlooked in favour of Colwell for the managerial role when Burley moved to the boardroom back in August.

When Cradley sacked Adrian Mander at the start of December, Mole was recruited by Hammers chairman Trevor Thomas to help rebuild a depleted squad.

Numerous postponements meant last Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Dudley Town was both his first and last West Midlands Premier League game in charge.

Mole revealed assistant Mark Jones will take the helm for Cradley’s visit to Shifnal Town this Saturday and Tuesday’s home game with Pegasus Juniors, before also making the move to Causeway.

He said: “I do feel for Cradley and for Trevor, who is an old friend.

“It’s been a difficult 24 hours and I have not slept a lot.

“They have not done anything wrong. I desperately wanted to do well there but the Causeway job is the one I just could not turn down.

“I will help Cradley as much as I can. In the past month we have assembled a squad of 20 players and Mark will be staying on to see them through the next couple of games.”

Cradley are now left looking for their third manager of the season, though chairman Thomas was philosophical about the situation.

He said: “There was nothing I could do about it.

“It was nice Andy was available at the time. His passion was to be with a club at a higher level and the plan was to get us there.

“But I think in some ways Causeway are more in need than us. I have got no hard feelings toward Andy. The last thing I want to do is fall out with him.”