Former Carlisle United player and Workington Reds manager Darren Edmondson has left Barrow AFC by mutual consent.

Ex-Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox is the favourite to replace him as Bluebirds boss.

Despite leading Barrow to Conference North title glory last season, Coniston-born Edmondson has paid the price for their inconsistent National League form and their dismal FA Cup fourth-qualifying round defeat at Fylde this term.

Barrow’s US-based owner Paul Casson has acted after giving Edmondson a month to save his job, a move which followed the 1-0 reverse at Fylde on October 24.

“Darren has taken us to the point that we’re at, for which we are obviously grateful,” said Casson.

“Before I took the club over he took the club from the bottom of the Conference North to the midpoint and then got us promoted last year.

“And now, in my opinion, it’s just time to pass the baton on and to go forward.”

Edmondson succeeded Dave Bayliss as permanent Barrow manager in December 2013 – after ending his six-year spell in charge at fellow Cumbrian side Workington Reds – and then led the club from the bottom of Conference North to a respectable 11th-placed finish at the end of that season.

Following Casson’s Barrow takeover, he then masterminded the Bluebirds’ promotion into non-league’s top flight in 2014/15.

But Casson, who at the start of the season expressed his desire for Barrow to be in the ‘play-off conversation’, grew weary of Barrow’s inconsistency and various shortcomings.

Earlier this season, the exit of first-team coach Paul Murray was ordered by Casson, who then held talks with Edmondson over Barrow’s underwhelming start to the campaign.

AFC subsequently secured a morale-boosting 1-0 home win over Eastleigh on September 5 but other issues have blighted their campaign.