PETER GRANT has today left his position as Dunfermline manager.

In the last few minutes, the club's board have released a statement that confirms the 56-year-old has departed after just five months in charge.

Yesterday's 4-2 defeat at Arbroath - a game in which the Pars had been 2-0 up - proved to be the final straw, with first team coaches Greg Shields and Steven Whittaker set to lead the club until a replacement is recruited.

Grant leaves the club at the foot of the Championship table with just seven points, having failed to register a victory in 12 matches played.

The former Alloa Athletic manager has found himself under increasing pressure from supporters because of the team's poor run of form and, with a home clash with Greenock Morton - only one place and two points above Athletic - looming next Saturday, the board have decided to act.

In a statement, they said: "DAFC can confirm today that it has sadly parted company with Manager, Peter Grant.

"We would like to place on record our thanks to Peter for his efforts, hard work and professionalism during his time at East End Park, and we wish him and his family every success in the future.

"A fresh robust recruitment process to find a replacement for Peter to lead our club forward will start immediately. In the meantime, Greg Shields and Steven Whittaker have agreed to lead the team on an interim basis, and they will be supported by Sports Director, Thomas Meggle."

Following Stevie Crawford's departure in the close season, Dunfermline turned to Grant, who had left relegated Alloa, as the man to lead them into the new campaign.

Upon taking the job, the ex-Celtic player, who has also managed Norwich City and coached with West Ham United, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and the Scotland national side amongst others, stated that automatic promotion was his aim.

Grant brought in 10 fresh faces, either permanently or on loan, in his bid to push for the top but, after progressing in their Premier Sports Cup group and drawing 2-2 at Morton on the opening day, his reign began to unravel.

Successive 3-0 home losses to Partick Thistle and Arbroath were sandwiched between a 5-0 thrashing at Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup last 16, and was followed by a 3-1 defeat at Ayr United.

The supporters showed their displeasure and, after criticism of the 3-5-2 system he had adopted, Grant reverted to a 4-4-2 for a 0-0 draw at home to then leaders Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Despite drawing their next two games, Grant also had to field and deny speculation surrounding the happiness of fan favourite Dom Thomas at the club, who had found himself out the team despite starting the season wearing the captain's armband, and faced more frustration from the stands after a 1-0 loss at Queen of the South at the start of the month.

Following that game, the Pars board released a statement backing Grant, in which they said that they "hurt just as much as everyone else and fully accept that things must improve, and very quickly", but that "it is more important than ever, during difficult times that everyone with DAFC in their heart, stick together to pull us through to better times ahead".

For his part, Grant said that he believed that "I am the right guy for the job", and that "I’d love to turn it around and nothing would give me greater pleasure, not to prove anybody wrong, but to prove everybody right that I was the right guy for the job".

Since the international break, however, Dunfermline had to rely on a stoppage time Aaron Comrie goal to salvage a draw with Kilmarnock; played out a goalless draw at Partick Thistle; conceded an equaliser to Raith Rovers with three minutes to go on Tuesday evening; and then were beaten yesterday at Gayfield.

Kevin O'Hara struck twice inside the opening 12 minutes to have the Pars in control, but goals from Thomas O'Brien and Joel Nouble had ex-East End boss, Dick Campbell, and his Lichties side level by half-time.

Bobby Linn's spectacular strike with 13 minutes to go put Arbroath ahead, and they sealed victory - and condemned Dunfermline to a fifth league defeat - thanks to Michael McKenna's penalty.

Post-match, Grant described the defeat as a "massive disappointment" and, when asked if he would be speaking to the board, he said: "I speak to them every day.

"As I have said to you many many times, they have been a great support to me. It has been tough; Tuesday night proves it. We lost a win with a couple of minutes to go.

"They know hard we are working but it doesn’t matter how hard you work, sometimes people say the harder you work the luckier you become. I am not sure that I agree with that saying any longer because we can’t work any harder.

"We are preparing right for matches, saying the right things but you still need a bit of fortune on the pitch and at crucial moments do the job that was asked. Lock on at a throw in against, don’t give easy possession away to give the throw in away in the first place. Don’t give a free kick away, don’t go too deep on the setplays, they do and the ball goes in off the post.

"We saw that on Tuesday night but we prepare for all that. It is not as if we are lazy on our job, we know our job. That is to try and win games of football, we work our socks off trying to do that. The boys graft to try and do that but unfortunately at this moment in time it is just not meant to be. For what reason, I don’t know."

Grant departs after 17 games in charge, having won just three - against Partick, Dumbarton and Stenhousemuir in the Premier Sports Cup - and losing seven, and his reign also saw defender Paul Watson have his contract terminted by mutual consent.

The search now begins for his successor, with names such as Montrose boss and ex Pars favourite, Stewart Petrie, and Campbell amongst those likely to be linked with the post.