Mark Dunning has vowed to come bouncing straight back after being axed by Brighton Bears.

The out-of-contract head coach was given the bad news minutes after his team had ended their season with an eighth successive defeat on Saturday.

It is the third consecutive year the club have finished bottom of either the entire league or the southern conference.

Dunning, 43, took over the Bears hot seat midway through last season, the latest stop in a 20-year coaching career which has also taken in Brunel, Hemel Hempstead, London Towers and Thames Valley.

He admitted he was disappointed rather than angry at being axed and said: "I can't walk away from the game. It's what I do best and it's what I want to do. I will be looking to carry on coaching if possible but there are so few opportunities in this country.

"Why should I walk away? I want to get back in people's faces."

Dunning's demise will delight a section of Bears supporters, who have been calling for his head for much of the season.

Others will point to the side's improved form in February and argue he should have been given the chance to build on that with the help of a couple more new signings.

Dunning certainly felt there was a case for continuity.

He said: "One poor summer of recruiting and I have been hanged. There is no recognition of hard work, good coaching and the chance of, having laid foundations in year one of a rebuilding process, being able to rectify the situation and continue building.

"That's all I wanted to to do and we could have done it."

Owner Romek Kriwald was unwilling to comment on the identity of Dunning's replacement but said progress had been made in finding a new man.

He was similarly guarded about his efforts to bring new investment into the club.

But he offered the strongest hint yet that Dave Wahl, plus one or two others, stood a good chance of being re-signed for next season.

Kriwald said he had made the decision to axe Dunning "very recently" and added: "It was made all the more difficult because Mark does the fundamentals as well as anyone else, if not better then most.

"I have nothing but respect for Mark and I recognise the many good things he has put in place. We have underperformed this season. I have discussed the shortcomings one-on-one with Mark and that's how I will leave it."

"But the results and what has happened with the team is an incredibly public thing and everyone can see that and make a judgment as well."

It was the second time Dunning had left the ageing Bracknell Sports and Leisure Centre, or The Pit as Thames Valley call it, without a job. He quit as Tigers' coach in 1989.

His threadbare Bears side, again missing Wilbur Johnson and Demetric Reese, did all they could to make it a more happy return to his old haunt.

These two clubs would have been battling for the title a few years ago but these days are propping up the rest of the southern section.

Bears started on a high note and, when Daniel Hildreth sunk the first of his four three-pointers, they led 25-21 late in the first period.

Typically, they then hit self destruct and were on the end of a 20-2 run by Tigers which effectively settled the contest.

John McCord produced a couple of fabulous dunks and assistant coach Michael Hayles rubbed salt into the wound by coming off the bench and hitting a buzzer-beating three.

Tigers were 20 points up at one stage. But Kevin Wallace conjured a few party pieces of his own in another sparkling individual display as Bears cut the arrears to a more respectable six inside the final minute.

Those efforts earned praise from the coach and a standing ovation from the 50 or so travelling supporters who gave their players great backing all evening.

But those fans will demand more than gallant defeats when the new coach takes charge next term.