THE Gwent coaching merry-go-round continued today with Les Edwards relinquishing his post at relegated First Division club Abertillery.

He joins David Rees and Geraint Jones (Cross Keys) and Nigel Way (Blackwood) who have also left their clubs this season, Way sacked.

Edwards had hoped to be appointed the Green and Whites' coach for next season before now after he and Adrian Parry almost orchestrated one of the great escapes in Welsh rugby.

But the club delayed offering him the forwards coaching job until this week and with talk that the players are not behind his methods, he decided to leave rather than cause a damaging split.

Abertillery were ten points adrift at the foot of Division One before winning seven and drawing one of their last ten games soon after Edwards and Parry took over. That took them out of the bottom two relegated clubs, only for Blackwood to win their last game to send Abertillery down.

Parry is on holiday abroad and it is not known if he will follow Edwards. "I felt it wouldn't be right to stay there as a result of circumstances arising from a meeting," said Edwards.

"The players felt the coaching wasn't up to what they wanted. "I decided in order to save the club any hassle I would walk away. "I thanked the club for their offer and I could still be involved with the club in some respect.

"I'm disappointed because I asked the club for a decision a month ago and had it been taken then I don't think there would have been a problem."

Abertillery chairman David Llewellyn was unavailable for comment this morning.